MANILA, Philippines -- The military Monday recommended the revival of the proposed national ID system to defeat the 38-year communist insurgency by 2010 even as it claimed that the strength of the New People’s Army (NPA) was at its lowest in 20 years.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) made its recommendation to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at a command conference in Camp Aguinaldo where military and defense officials gave her an assessment of the AFP’s security operations in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“The recommendation for the revival of the national ID system is to accelerate accomplishing the [President’s] marching orders given to the AFP [to eradicate the communist insurgency by 2010],” said the AFP spokesperson, Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro.

PNP Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said Ms Arroyo was in favor of using the national ID system to “provide services to our citizens” similar or based on the Social Security System (SSS) or the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

While its concentration would not be on “security concerns,” the national ID system’s “main point is to have greater coordination of all the government agencies to defeat the threat to our national security,” Razon said.

Main threat

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the NPA, continue to be the “main threat” to national security, according to the AFP.

The communist insurgency has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years with fewer than 6,000 active guerrillas operating throughout the country.

Membership in the NPA had fallen by 1,400 or 20 percent in 2007 to 5,760, senior military commanders told Ms Arroyo. “This is the lowest strength level for the NPA in 20 years,” Bacarro told reporters after the briefing.

Neutralized

Bacarro said the NPA’s influence had been neutralized in 202 villages while 13 “guerrilla fronts” -- a term referring to shadow governments administered by the rebels around the country -- “were dismantled,” reducing the total to 87.

Razon said security officials expressed the hope that the national ID system would be implemented this year.

He said Ms Arroyo had directed Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to study how the system could be implemented in 2008.

Not this year

But Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno expressed doubts that the government would be able to implement a unified national ID system within the year.

“We are not at this moment prepared to issue a consolidated singular ID,” Puno told reporters in Malacañang.

This is because the government is in the process of doing a “systems analysis” of all ID schemes, which the National Economic and Development Authority is consolidating, he said.

“So if you’re going to judge by systems requirements, it will take some time for that study to be completed,” the interior secretary added.

Basic information

Razon said security officials viewed the national ID as a way to prevent insurgents, terrorists, and criminal elements from “hiding behind the cloak of anonymity.”

The public has nothing to fear from the national ID as it would only contain basic information about themselves such as name, age, photograph and fingerprints, he said.

“The (national) ID system is not in a way to infringe on basic human rights but to provide service to our citizens, just like PhilHealth or SSS,” the PNP chief said.

Revive ROTC

Aside from a study on the implementation of a national ID system, Razon said the President directed the military, police, local government units and government agencies to “synchronize” efforts for a stronger implementation of the national internal security plan.

Possible amendments to the Human Security Act, such as making the possession of explosives a nonbailable offense, as well as reviving the Reserved Officers’ Training Course were also discussed.

Six more battalions

The AFP chief of staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., told Ms Arroyo that the AFP needed six more battalions and P3.5 billion to implement its “unified command” program, according to a press release issued by Malacañang.

The military also wanted to constitute 20 more Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) companies to help the military fight the NPA.

In response, Ms Arroyo said she would authorize the budget department to release an initial P1 billion. But she said she would await the recommendations of Teodoro on the proposal to beef up the military strength by six battalions.

The President also directed the military to investigate reports of so-called “ghost” CAFGUs.

Respect human rights

Ms Arroyo reiterated the administration’s adherence to human rights.

“All men and women are equal before the law, whether a former president or military man. We have to adhere to the principle that the death of any Filipino just because he expressed his politics is a violation of human rights,” she said.

She congratulated the military for its “very good” immersion in the barangays (villages), as she asked it to coordinate with the Department of Interior and Local Government on the activities of 900 barangay officials said to be sympathetic to the cause of the communist group.

The President also ordered Col. Carlos Celt, head of the Office of the President Special Operations Group, to reward areas that have managed to wipe out the insurgency.