Nene, Chiz clash on unified ID system

MANILA, Philippines - Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Sen. Francis Escudero hold different views on the proposal of Social Security System (SSS) chairman Romulo Neri to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to use the unified multi-purpose identification cards as voter’s IDs.

Pimentel rejected at once Neri’s proposal, saying he should first be accountable for the controversies that hounded the Arroyo administration in which he took part.

He was referring to the foiled national broadband deal with ZTE Corp. of China.

“Obviously, it’s one such attempt coming from a character who still has to account for his covering up for the GMA/ZTE and other deals. It should be dismissed as a tactic to divert attention from his role,” said Pimentel, who is on his final term as senator.

Escudero, on the other hand, is open to the idea of a unified ID system even as he is amenable to the recognition of government-issued IDs as a legitimate form of identification.

“My view is come up with a uniform procedure for the issuance of ID and accredit voter’s ID, SSS, GSIS, driver’s license and presentation of any one is sufficient to establish one’s identity without need of getting a new ID,” Escudero said.

The ID system is already being used by the SSS, Pag-IBIG Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Government Service Insurance System.

Neri said the ID, which has an 80-kilobyte memory, can still accommodate voter information. 

“Our technical people are already discussing how much space they need and we will give them the necessary space for the data,” he said.

There had been plans to have a unified ID system, but these were opposed by militant groups who claimed that the information would violate individuals’ privacy.