REP. Brian Raymund Yamsuan (PL, Bicol Saro) has filed a bill that will allow the public to take part in the legislative process by submitting proposals via digital platforms on reviewing, amending, repealing, or creating laws.
“Crowdsourcing proposals from citizens will enable Congress to determine their most pressing needs and concerns. It will complement insights gathered during committee hearings from resource persons and experts whose assessments may not always reflect the true sentiments and views of the sector they represent,” said the administration lawmaker, the main author of House Bill No. 303.
Yamsuan said his proposed bill aims “to enhance democracy in the country by making the lawmaking process more inclusive and transparent, adding that crowdsourcing legislation is not a new concept since it has been proposed more than a decade ago by former Sen. Teofisto Guingona III in the 15th Congress.”
In the global legislative landscape, Yamsuan said Brazil has pioneered citizen involvement in the lawmaking process through its Internet Bill of Rights, and on a limited scale, Finland and Iceland have also allowed citizens to comment and provide suggestions through digital platforms on how to improve traffic laws.
“Our goal is to strengthen people’s participation in the legislative process. Through technology, we can democratize the way we craft laws. Our citizens can take part in making laws. They can reach out to Congress via the Internet to air their views and proposals on pending bills or enacted laws,” he said.
Yamsuan said citizen involvement in the legislative process “would provide lawmakers with independent, unbiased inputs on existing laws and pending measures.
“With valuable inputs from fellow citizens, we can pass laws that are more effective and more responsive to their needs,” he said.
The bill seeks to mandate the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) to create an online platform where people can start a campaign or an electronic petition “to review, amend, repeal or create a law.”
