MANILA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the executive order "operationalizing" the freedom of information in the executive branch, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar announced Sunday.
In a press conference in Davao City, Andanar said Duterte signed the executive order at 7 p.m. Saturday.
"President Duterte signed the cornerstone executive order called the freedom of information," Andanar said.
The Malacanang presidential palace released a copy of the six-paged order "operationalizing in the Executive Branch the people's constitutional right to information and the state policies of public disclosure and transparency in the public service and providing guidelines" on how Filipinos can access public records.
The order allows "every Filipino to have access to information, official records, public records and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for public development."
It says the order covers "all government offices under the Executive Branch, including but not limited to the national government and all its offices, departments, bureaus, offices, and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations, state universities and colleges."
"Local government units are encouraged to observe and be guided by this order," it says.
However, the order says "access to information shall be denied when the information falls under any of the exceptions, enshrined in the Philippine constitution, existing law or jurisprudence."
"The Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General are hereby directed to prepare an inventory of such exceptions and submit the same to the Office of the President within 30 days," the order says.
Anadanar said Filipinos who wish to access to public information needs to submit a written request to the government office concerned.
