House OKs national ID system bill on 3rd reading

The House of Representatives on Friday approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to establish an identification system via national ID cards for all Filipinos, a priority legislation of the Duterte administration.

Voting 142 Yeses, seven Nos, and with zero abstention, the chamber approved House Bill 6221 which seeks to create a National Identification Database System, or the Filipino Identification System (FilSys).

The bill aims to provide a valid proof of identity and efficient official identity verification of all Philippine citizens and synchronize and consolidate all existing government ID systems into a single structure.

Up reaching 18 years old, all Filipinos residing in the Philippines, or abroad, will be mandated to register personal data under the FilSys. A non-transferable Filipino ID Card (FilID) with a unique common reference number (CRN)—valid for life—will then be issued.

The FilID, which contains personal data of the cardholder, will serve as the official government-issued identification document. It has anti-forgery and tamper-proof security features.

The bill also protects individuals against unlawful disclosure of personal records or information.

Except with the permission of the holder, or in cases of accidents or disasters and public health and safety requirements, or by court order, no person may be forced to disclose, collect, record, convey, disseminate, publish, or use any personal data filed under the FilSys.

Right to privacy

In voting against the proposal, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said the bill encroaches on the right to privacy of an individual.

"Kung magiging batas ang House Bill 6221, walang kapantay sa buong daigdig ang panghihimasok na gagawin ng estado sa pribadong buhay ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino, dahil sa lawak at saklaw ng impormasyon na sapilitang kokolektahin ng estado at titipunin sa isang pambansang database," he said.

"Isasabatas ng bill na ito ang isang makapangyarihang aparato ng tinatawag ng police state sa ngalan. 'di umano, ng pagpapadulas ng mga serbisyo ng gobyerno," he added.

Tinio criticized the arguments of the proponents the bill, who said that without a national ID, a person will not be able to receive services from different government agencies.

"Sa madaling sabi, gagawing isang pambansang patakaran ng panukalang batas na ito ang 'No ID, No Entry'. Hindi po tama 'yan," he said.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate argued that the bill is unconstitutional for abridging the right to privacy and posing a threat to individual security.

"Dapat lamang tayong mabahala kung saan gagamitin ang ating mga impormayon. Ginoong Speaker, sa kasalukuyang pagtaas ng mga kaso ng extrajudicial killings, state repression, at iba pang paglabag sa karapatang pantao, ang paggamit ng National ID system laban sa mga aktibista at sa mga progresibo ay hindi malayong mangyari," he said.

"Ito ay magdudulot ng lalo pang paggunaw ng demokrasya at kalayaan," he added.

Nothing to worry

ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro shared the same sentiment.

"Suffice it to say na hindi makapapayag ang mamamayang isuko nila ang halos lahat ng impormasyon nila, from the cradle to the grave and from the outside even to the inside, lalo na’t kung ang kapalit ay isang sistemang makagagamit ng sarili nilang impormasyong laban sa kanila at mga hungkag na pangakong mapapabilis diumano ang mga serbisyo at transaksyon sa gobyerno," she said.

But Laguna Representative Sol Aragones, one of the authors of the bill, earlier said there was nothing to worry about the privacy of a person.

In an interview with GMA News Online last Sunday, Aragones said several government agencies were tasked to ensure that personal information will not be breached.

"Unang-una, inaatasan ang Philippine Statistics Authority na makipag-ugnayan sa Department of Information and Communications Technology na siyang in charge sa technical security measures ng panukalang batas na ito, maging ang National Privacy Commission," she said.

"Malalaman natin na meron tayong Data Act of 2012, at tinitiyak natin na bawal labagin ang right to privacy ng bawat individual," she added. — VDS, GMA News