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International News

Proposed Filipino National ID Will Control Crime

July 01, 2011 posted by Steve Brownstein

Giving each Filipino one identification number for all transactions with the government will improve the delivery of public services, Senator Panfilo Lacson said.

Lacson, who has revived a proposal for a singular ID system for the Philippines, said having just one ID number will simplify transactions with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, and other agencies.

He said Filipinos have to keep track of so many different identification numbers on documents like driver's licenses, passports, and tax forms.

"It is rare for a person to remember all these different multiple digit codes and to compound one's misery, some of these numbers need to be changed every so often. A person is thus forced to carry several different cards or documents," he said in the explanatory note to his bill.

If Lacson's bill is passed, the national ID can be used for transactions with the SSS and the Government Service Insurance System.

It will also serve as a valid ID for applications for driver's licenses, passports, marriage licences, death certificates, police clearances, and business permits.

The proposed national ID will also serve as a Philippine Health Insurance Corp. card, as reference for job applications, and as a prerequisite for a voter's ID.

Lacson added having a national ID system will help keep crime under control.

He said that with so many IDs in use by different government agencies, it is a simple matter for a criminal to just change his name and get a new ID.

He said some drivers have several licenses in their wallets in case they get stopped by traffic enforcers.

"When they're apprehended for a serious traffic violation, they can just give away the license since they have four or five more (in their wallets)," he said.

Having just one identification system will help prevent this, he said, since it will be easy to check an ID holder's criminal records.

However, Lacson made it clear that the smart cards that he wants used for the national ID will not carry sensitive information like financial records and bank account numbers.

"[The ID] will have the date of birth. Year, month, and date, so it can be cross referenced. And other basic information about the individual," he said