MANILA – Journalists are citing the Maguindanao massacre as a compelling reason for the Senate to immediately pass the Freedom of Information Act (FOI).

A fact-finding team led by local journalists said the law could have allowed them to scrutinize how the Arroyo government handled the Maguindanao mass killings.

The call for the measure comes a week after at least 57 were summarily executed in Maguindanao. Thirty one of them were local media practitioners.

In a report released to the media on Thursday, the Fact Finding Team to Maguindanao, a group formed by the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists and the National Union of the Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), rang the alarm bells.

They said the authorities have yet to disclose documents crucial to the probe.

The fact-finding team cited the police reports that contain investigation findings. They said these should be made available to the public.

Blanket powers

They also questioned the ‘blanket authority’ given to interior and local government secretary Ronaldo Puno.

Puno’s powers were not detailed in the six-paragraph Presidential Proclamation No. 1946, which declared Central Mindanao region under a state of emergency, noted Rowena P. Paraan of the fact-finding team said. .

President Arroyo placed Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City under a state of emergency after the gruesome crime was alleged to have been committed by the private army of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan, Jr.

President Arroyo and the Ampatuan clan are political allies.

Among those killed were civilians and family members of Buluan vice mayor Ismael ‘Toto’ Mangudadatu, who will challenge the Ampatuans in the upcoming elections for the gubernatorial post in Maguindanao.

The fact-finding mission stated in its report that the “blanket authority granted to Puno is not contained in any presidential issuances on record. It was just discussed in a press release of the Office of the Press Secretary and in press statement of [press secretary Cerge] Remonde.”

Paraan said the passage of the FOI would help journalists and the public as a whole demand for the publication of the official document specifying Puno’s thrust.

The team is also seeking access to police case referral reports, which would have summarized the findings of the investigation, to be made available to the public.

Keep the promise

The FOI bill has been languishing in Congress for the past eight years. Its legislation would help outline procedural mechanisms for accessing public documents and would also penalize officials who refuse to release public records.

The bill is in the period of interpellations at the Senate. After this, amendments could be introduced, and the measure would be approved on second and third readings.

Last November 9, members of media and civil society marched to the Senate to lobby for the passage of the bill. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile vowed that the upper chamber would pass the measure when Congress resumes sessions next week.