220 Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy, Second Edition banks, and the social security and government insurance systems. These are lucrative positions which earn the columnists, depending on the corporation, between P50,000 and P250,000 (USD 1000 and USD 5000) a month. They constitute a formidable incentive for commenting favorably on the government, especially the appointing power. Following her State of the Nation Address in July 2005, Arroyo, like her predecessor Corazon Aquino, also limited media access to her press conferences. Reporters from independent local media complained against control of the free press and Arroyo's stage-managed press conferences. Local reporters from private media were forced to submit questions in advance, while reporters from State-controlled media were given priority. Three out of six mainstream TV channels are controlled by the government. In one instance, foreign media were completely banned from covering Mrs. Arroyo's press conference. The draft information act Although guaranteed by the Constitution and the executive orders of two presidents, freedom of information in the Philippines is not covered by any law. There have been proposals for access to information acts in the past, but journalists' groups opposed them because rather than widening the scope for information access, the proposed laws narrowed it by focusing on ofcial information that could be withheld. Journalists have also argued that despite the absence of such a law, and the consequent arbitrariness of ofcial decisions on which information to release and which to withhold, the Philippines has not lagged behind other South East Asian countries that do have information laws, such as Thailand. In fact, these journalists claim, ofcial information has generally been more available in the Philippines than in other countries (Chua, 2003). However, the Philippine NGO Access to Information Network (ATIN) argues, “denial of access to information on matters of public concern in the Philippines remains widespread.” (Access to Information Network, 2002, meeting.) ATIN's observation is probably true in terms of the public's, rather than journalists' access to ofcial information. Since many government agencies are afraid to incur the displeasure of the media, especially the Manila-based newspapers and such organizations as the PCIJ, they eventually, if not readily, release requested information. This is not the case when ordinary citizens, such as members of NGOs, request the release of ofcial information. Even public documents like police blotters have been described by the police as “classied” when journalism students request access. In some cases, student requests for information are either denied, or answered with interminable delays. ATIN thus drafted an information act for the consideration of the Philippine Congress. ATIN's draft of “An Act to Ensure Public Access to Ofcial