For neophyte solon FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe, pursuing the passage of a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act is like honoring family tradition.

An FOI measure, formally titled the proposed Act implementing the people’s right to information and the constitutional policies of full public discourse and honesty, was the first bill filed by Rep. Poe in the current 20th Congress.

The reason? His mother, former senator Grace Poe, had prioritized the same measure.

''Ito po ay isa sa mga priority ng nanay ko noong 2013 (It was among my mother's priority measures in 2013). It was within, I believe, her top 10 bills also. So to keep up with tradition and to start off on the right foot, I'm pushing for transparency and honesty within government,'' Rep. Poe said in a recent interview with House of Representatives reporters.

The elder Poe had just capped her two-term, 12-year tenure as a Philippine senator last June 30.

Incidentally, last May, Rep. Poe sealed his House seat with the victory of FPJ Panday Bayanihan in the party-list race.

''Sa mga nangyari ngayon, sa tingin ko, importante na ipasa ang [FOI] bill para sa transparency at accountability sa ating gobyerno (With what has been happening, it is important to promote transparency and accountability in our government),'' he said in the same interview.

Also known as the People's Freedom of Information Act, Rep. Poe's bill seeks to give full effect to the Flipino people's constitutional right to ascess information on matters of public concern, as enshrined in Article III, Section 7 and Article Xl, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution.

It advances the twin principles of transparency and accountability, which are indispensable to a functioning democracy.

''Despite the recognition of the right to information in the Constitution, its exercise remains severely limited in practice due to the absence of a clear legal framewock. Citizens are often met with inconsistent procedures, unjustified denials, or outright inaction when requesting access to public records. This lack of enforceable standards impedes public oversight and weakens trust in institutions,'' the bill read.

Rep. Poe's measure provides for standardized and accessible request procedures. This refers to simple, citizen-friendly procedures for requesting information, including oral requests for those with disabilities or literacy barriers.

It establishes fixed time frames for response, appeal mechanisms, and the right to be informed of the status of a request.

It also provides for mandatory proactive disclosure. To reduce barriers and promote instituional transparency, the bill requires the automatic publication of essential documents such as agency budgets, procurement plans, contracts, bilateral agreements, financial reports, and the statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALŅs) of senior offcials, with personal information properly redacted.

The measure also sets clearly defined and limited exceptions. While recognizing legitimate grounds for non-disclosure such as national security, law enforcement, and personal privacy, the bill ensures that such exceptions are narrowly drawn, strictly interpreted, and, where applicable, subject to a public interest override.