National ID system bill revived in Congress

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker has revived a legislation that seeks to institutionalize a national identification system to cut red tape and increase productivity among Filipinos.

Albay 2nd District Rep. Al Francis Bichara, author of House Bill 11, said the idea of a national identification system 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.

Bichara said the 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.

"This is one practical and doable way to facilitate and streamline government transactions," he said. "We need to establish an efficient tool in upgrading the speed and quality of public service in the country."

The congressman also admitted that his proposal will meet possible 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.

But Bichara said his measure ensures that any information under the system will not be made available to third parties or entities but only under certain exceptional circumstances

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," Bichara noted.

The bill mandates a ten-year validity and 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 of charge as part of the government social service responsibility. However, the succeeding issuances shall be charged to the cardholder.

During the 15th Congress, at least four bills were filed in the House of Representatives seeking to institutionalize the National ID system.

For the full copies of the said bills, visit Philstar.com's Bill Tracker feature on the website's Congress page.