The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday welcomed the signing into law of the national ID system, saying it will benefit law enforcement.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement that the system will have “beneficial effects” on their law enforcement operations.
“We assure the public that individual privacy will be respected,” he said.
Lorenzana said the system will also help the government address the gaps in the identification of citizens entitled to receive government services.
“Based on our experience, armed conflicts and insurgencies are often rooted in poor governance and delivery of basic services,” he said.
AFP spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said terrorists and criminals can no longer assume multiple and/or false identities with the new system.
“The law will further isolate criminals from law-abiding citizens. The former will remain in hiding and cannot avail of the mandated identification card lest they be exposed to arrest and prosecution. They will lose their freedom of movement; their ability to transact business will be divested with no ID cards to present when demanded,” he said.
READ: Duterte signs national ID law
The new law, signed on Tuesday by President Rodrigo Duterte, will establish a single national identification system in the country. He assured the public that apprehensions on possible security or privacy breaches have no basis.
Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay, meanwhile, dismissed the new system as “a wolf in sheep’s clithing.”
“The national ID system will be an underhanded maneuver to screen and monitor people. This law will be very much prone to abuse, considering that our bureaucracy is already littered with militarists and ex-generals who have proven their contempt for people’s rights. With billions already funneled to intelligence funds, this law will further fast-track government monitoring and even harassment of its citizens,” she said. /ee