The Senate unanimously approved on its third and final reading a landmark measure strengthening citizens’ access to government records as lawmakers advanced key transparency legislation under the Marcos administration’s priority agenda.

During the plenary session on Monday, May 4, presided over by Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, senators voted 22-0-0 to pass Senate Bill No. 1432, or the proposed “Act Implementing the People’s Right to Information and the Constitutional Policies of Full Public Disclosure and Honesty in the Public Service.”

A second measure, Senate Bill No. 1981, was also approved during the same session, with all 22 senators present voting in favor in a roll call vote, reflecting rare bipartisan consensus in the upper chamber.

Senate Bill No. 1432, known as the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, is among the administration’s priority bills aimed at institutionalizing public access to government information and strengthening transparency and accountability in public service.

Senator Robin Padilla welcomed the swift passage of the FOI measure, thanking fellow lawmakers for their support in refining and approving the bill. He also urged the House of Representatives to act promptly on its counterpart version to ensure the measure is finally enacted into law.

The Senate’s unanimous vote underscores growing legislative momentum for long-delayed transparency reforms, which have been repeatedly pushed in previous Congresses but failed to reach full enactment.

Once reconciled with the House version and signed into law, the FOI measure is expected to provide Filipinos broader access to government data, subject to defined exemptions for national security, privacy, and other sensitive matters.