​PARAÑAQUE 2nd District Rep. Brian Yamsuan hailed the approval of the proposed Right to Information (RTI) Act by the House Committee on Public Information as a crucial step toward a culture of transparency and accountability in the government. ​In a statement Tuesday, Yamsuan, who heads the technical working group on the proposed RTI Act, said the bill would finally be passed into law under the current Congress after more than three decades. He added that the proposal was among those identified as priority measures of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ​"This measure, which our freedom-of-information champions have described as ’30 years in the making,’ would not only prove to be beneficial to our citizens but also to the government," said Yamsuan, who is vice chairman of the committee. ​He added that the bill would help leaders avoid situations in which they face unfounded accusations if decisions and actions are documented and accessible to the public. ​Among the notable features of the substitute bill is a provision mandating proactive disclosure and data accuracy by government agencies. Under Section 25 of the bill, all government agencies and instrumentalities shall have the duty to "proactively disclose data through their official websites." ​These include regularly updated information on programs, projects, and names of third-party contractors; procedures in decision-making processes, including channels of supervision and accountability; service standards; statistical data on accomplishments; and details on annual procurement plans, budgets, expenditures, and disbursements. ​Another provision includes the disclosure of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of public officials and employees. ​To protect personal information, home addresses, dates of birth, and ages of unmarried children below 18 years old living in the declarant’s household will be redacted from released SALN copies. Signatures and government-issued identification numbers of declarants and co-declarants will also be protected. ​The measure also stresses the legal presumption in favor of access to information and shifts the burden of proof to the government agency in identifying the legal basis for denying disclosure. ​“We want transparency; we want people to know the right information. It is a bill that would lessen the proliferation of fake news. Fact-checking would be easier,” Yamsuan said. ​The substitute bill also provides for the creation of an RTI Commission, an independent and quasi-judicial body tasked to oversee the implementation of the measure. The commission will have the authority to direct government agencies to provide access to requested information, as well as investigate, hear, and decide cases involving violations of the RTI Act. ​The bill aims to integrate RTI, media and information literacy, and the principles of governance into the education curriculum to promote transparency, civic engagement, and the responsible use of information. ​Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan, chairman of the House Committee on Public Information, thanked Yamsuan for his work in overseeing the technical working group. ​“The technical working group was very competently and efficiently chaired by our vice chair, congressman Brian Yamsuan, who led the discussions on the core provisions of the bill in its more contentious sections,” Suan said.