FEF, an organization ad – vocating “market-friendly reforms, good governance, and economic and political liberty,” said such measures would give people without birth certificates to finally have one through mass civil registration entitling them to a national ID.
The group gave six reasons to justify mass civil registration and national ID system.
“It will promote financial in – clusion because many poor, unemployed Filipinos are prevented from opening bank accounts without a govern – ment-issued ID” and “strengthen the integrity of services provided for the poor, such as the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, PhilHealth, and SSS benefits,” FEF said in a state ment.
FEF also said its proposal “will also strengthen the integrity of our passports, which our overseas Filipino workers use” and “promote e-commerce because it will deter identity fraud online and offline.”
Amid Duterte’s vow to fight illegal drugs, FEF said its proposal “will strengthen the fight against drug dealers and terrorists who use false identity to commit their nefarious crimes.”
Finally, FEF said the move “will prevent money laundering, as had happened in the RCBC money laundering case where depositors were able to open bank accounts using fake driver’s license cards.”
“Mass civil registration and a national ID system will improve the delivery of government services to every Filipi – no, as well as add efficiency to our current system of governance,” it noted.
FEF said it is “imperative that every Filipino must have a birth certificate registered with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).”
"Presently, numerous Filipinos, many of whom are poor or live in far-flung areas, do not have official birth certificates registered with the PSA, and therefore suffer from lack of access to public and private services requiring birth certifi cates. The government must ensure that no Filipino is with – out an official PSA birth certif – icate, which can be achieved by undertaking a mass civil registration,” FEF stressed.
FEF also urged the incoming Duterte administration “to work with Congress to immediately pass a national ID system bill that would not only provide each Filipino with an official government ID, but also address serious and valid concerns with respect to se curity, integrity, and privacy of personal information.”
“The government must en – sure that the database of a national ID system must be se – cure and not susceptible to hacking as what happened in the recent COMELEAK mess,” it said.
FEF said “the government must also prevent a national ID system from being used as a devastating dossier of infor – mation against unsuspecting citizens and guard against its potential misuse to systematically discriminate against certain groups and individuals.”
“Consistent with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012, a national ID system should likewise be designed with privacy built- in and adherence to the principles of transparency, legit imate purpose, and proportionality in processing person – al information. A national ID system must therefore have the necessary safeguards and provide penal sanctions for violation of its security, integrity, and privacy so that our citizens will be protected and will not suffer a wrong without remedy,” FEF said.
