NPC: Citizens with criminal records should also be able to get national IDs

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Tuesday proposed that citizens with past criminal records should also have the right to avail of the national ID, as the implementing rules and regulations are set to be drafted for the newly signed system.

"Ang sa ganang akin lang, talagang ang kailangan lang dito ma-establish 'yung identity ng isang tao at hindi 'yung nakaraan niya. So may karapatan pa rin na magkaroon ng ID ang sino man mula sa pagkakapanganak niya... 'yung fields of information na hinihingi dito ay limitado 'yon, so hindi hinihingi dito kung ikaw ay may criminal record o wala," NPC chairman Raymund Enriquez Liboro said in a Super Radyo DzBB interview.

"Hindi naman po 'yon hinihingi [ang criminal record]," he added.

Liboro said that the NPC contributed to the drafting of the law, which tasks the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to secure the data of the applicants, and to minimize the information needed in registering for the ID.

"Dati nagsimula 'yan 35 klaseng impormasyon ang pinag-uusapan, pero kung hindi ako nagkakamali, mga pitong impormasyon [na lang.] Optional ka diyan kung gusto mong ilagay mobile number at e-mail mo," he said.

Liboro said the NPC will make sure that sensitive information, including the cardholder's biometric information and iris scan, will be secure.

"'Yan ang sisiguraduhin natin na secure siya, at hindi rin kara-karaka ang paggamit. Hindi porke't may biometrics, lahat ng establisiymento magre-require na mag-biometrics tayo," he said.

The NPC will hold liable any PSA employees who are proven to violate the provisions of the act.

"Kapag ito ay ginamit sa maling paraan ang database o hindi awtorisado, at na-monetize niya, ang kaparusahan ay 15 years imprisonment, at anim na karagdagan sa Data Privacy Act so almost 21 years," Liboro said.

"Kung mayroong gagamit niyan at mapapatunayan na may isang tao sa loob sa sistema ng PhilSys ang nagbigay nang hindi awtorisado sa mga marketing companies, ayun ang sinasabi nating malilintikan," he added.

The NPC will also recommend to the IRR guidelines such as ISO standards regarding identity management, according to Liboro. — Jamil Santos/BM, GMA News