The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to give Filipinos wider access to government records and strengthen transparency across public institutions.
House Bill No. 9397, or the proposed Right to Information Act of 2026, was approved with 284 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstention.
The measure, a priority bill of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), was principally authored by Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.
The House Speaker said the passage of the bill marks a major step toward a more open and accountable government.
“Democracy works best when citizens are informed. The right to information does more than provide access to documents, it empowers every Filipino by providing them the means to understand how the government works, how decisions are made, and how public resources are being used,” he said.
He said public information belongs to the people and should be made available in a clear, timely, and fair manner.
If enacted, the bill will create a legal framework allowing citizens to access official records, contracts, expenditures, policy documents, research data, and other information used by government agencies in performing their duties.
The proposed law will cover the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as constitutional commissions, government-owned and controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, local government units, and other government bodies.
One of its major provisions is the creation of an independent Right to Information Commission, which will oversee the law’s implementation, act on appeals involving denied requests, investigate violations, and enforce compliance among government agencies.
The bill also provides for a centralized Online RTI Portal where citizens may file and track information requests electronically. Government offices will also be required to designate RTI officers to handle and process requests.
To make public access easier, the measure requires proactive disclosure of key government records, including budgets, expenditures, procurement contracts, audit findings, performance reports, public programs, and other matters of public interest.
Dy said citizens should not always have to chase information that already belongs to them.
“The burden should not always be on citizens to search for information that rightfully belongs to them. The government must take the initiative to be more open, more accessible and more responsive to the people it serves,” he said.
The bill also seeks to improve transparency in public contracting by requiring disclosure of beneficial ownership information from entities doing business with the government.
Under the measure, disclosure will be treated as the rule and secrecy as the exception. Agencies that deny access to information must justify their refusal based on clearly defined grounds, including national security, law enforcement operations, foreign relations, privacy rights, and other exemptions recognized by law.
The proposal also includes a public-interest override provision, which allows the release of information when public benefit outweighs possible harm, particularly in cases involving corruption, misuse of public funds, abuse of authority, or threats to public safety.
Dy said the measure aims to make openness a central principle of governance.
“Trust in government is built through openness, accountability and honesty. When people have access to information, they are better equipped to participate in governance, scrutinize public actions and contribute to national development,” he said.
The bill also imposes administrative, civil, and criminal liabilities on public officials who unlawfully deny access to information, hide or destroy public records, provide false information, or retaliate against individuals exercising their right to information.