ID bill revived

MANILA, Philippines - Proposals to institutionalize a national ID system in the country have been revived in the House of Representatives.

Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara has filed in the 16th Congress House Bill 11 or the Filipino ID bill, which aims to cut red tape and increase productivity among Filipinos.

“This is one practical and doable way to facilitate and streamline government transactions,” Bichara said of the measure, which was referred to the House committee on revision of laws.

He said the proposed Filipino ID will serve as the official identification of a Filipino citizen whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, and can be used in both public and private transactions.

“We need to establish an efficient tool in upgrading the speed and quality of public service in the country,” he said.

The bill mandates the use of tamper-proof security material to protect the identity of cardholders from unwarranted and unauthorized access.

The idea of a national identification system, according to the lawmaker, has been proposed time and again in Congress due to the benefits that a unified information system would bring to the country and its citizens.

However, Bichara said he is not discounting possible stiff opposition, especially by human rights groups and other similar organizations, fearing that this might be used by the state to violate the rights of individuals.

“To assuage this fear, the proposed law shall ensure that any information under the system will not be made available to third parties or entities but only under certain exceptional circumstances,” Bichara said.

The bill also provides that any information given in the system shall be considered as privileged and cannot be used as evidence against the holder in any criminal proceedings.

“I am confident that the inclusion of safety provisions will assure certain sectors that the ID card system will never be used by the state to blackmail its citizens,” he said.

The bill mandates a 10-year validity, subject to renewal thereafter. The card shall also have the capability to store at least the biometric data of the individual cardholder.

The measure also provides that the application and issuance of the Filipino ID shall be initially free as part of government’s social service responsibility. However, the succeeding issuances shall be charged to the cardholder.