Albay solon revives push for national ID By: Philippine News Agency August 2, 2013 10:51 AM [Share This] InterAksyon The online news portal of TV5 MANILA, Philippines -- A lawmaker has revived efforts to institutionalize a national information card to be known as the Filipino Identification Card, or Filipino ID, in order to cut red tape and increase productivity. “This is one practical and doable way to facilitate and streamline government transactions,” said Representative Al Francis Bichara of Albay’s second district, author of House Bill 11, which has been referred to the committee on revision of laws. Bichara said the Filipino ID will serve as the official identification of a citizen whether residing in the country 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,” Bichara 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 author, has been proposed time and again in Congress. However, Bichara is not discounting possible stiff opposition, especially by human rights groups who fear the ID 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 to the system shall be considered 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 stressed. The bill would make the ID valid for 10 years, subject to renewal. The card shall also have the capability to store at least the biometric data of the holder. The measure also provides that the application and issuance of the Filipino ID shall initially be free of charge as part of government’s social service responsibility. However, charges will apply to succeeding issuances. interaksyon/article/67783/albay-solon-revives-push-for-national-id
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 23:58:15 +0000
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