While it has breezed past thru the Senate, the Freedom of Information (FOI) is not going anywhere in the House of Representatives.

This developed after the House failed to tackle House Bill 53 or the FOI measure in plenary session before they adjourned for the Christmas break late Wednesday night.

House Bill 53 or the FOI bill implements the right of the people to information on matters of public concern and the state policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest, including mandatory posting of SALN of public officials, as well as access to information being used for decision making or project management as well as transcripts and minutes of official meetings.

Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar was scheduled to deliver a sponsorship speech on the FOI measure on Tuesday in his capacity as the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Information. Evardone’s sponsorship speech, however, didn’t materialize because only at least 50 lawmakers showed up on Tuesday which is not enough to constitute a quorum.

Come Wednesday or December 19 which is the last day of session, an overwhelming 224 House members showed for the plenary session for a quorum. Still, such number was not enough to get the legislative mill rolling. The House adjourned session until January 21, 2013 after it ratified the Committee Reports on Polling Places for Persons With Disabilities, granting franchise to People’s Television and the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

The House had to wait until around 7:30 pm for the hard copy of the Committee Report on the RH bill since the Bicameral Conference Committee’s deliberation on the measure was held in Manila.