National ID: Boon or bane?

EDITORIAL

The Senate recently passed the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Act of 2018 voting 17-2, paving the way for a national ID system that will unify various government agency numbers and forms of identification.

Last September, the House of Representatives passed its version 142-7.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has reportedly ordered the acceleration of the implementation of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) or the National ID in the country.

Mr. Duterte issued directives to the Philippine Statistics Authority and other attached agencies to fast-track the activation of the national ID system particularly since the CoVid-19 pandemic has placed the nation at grave risk and of great uncertainty.

PSA aims to implement the ID system in the following months and is said to be targeting some five million households by end of the year.

Even then, the debate now is whether such an ID system is a good idea.

There are around 100 countries around with a compulsory ID system. ‘Compulsory,’ however, has different meanings for each system, with some requiring it be carried at all times, others upon reaching a certain age, and so on.

There are countries with a non-compulsory ID, among them Japan, Switzerland, and Sweden. Still others have no such thing at all, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The United States has no national ID but for many transactions and activities, such as domestic airline travel, citizens are required to show some sort of official identification, usually a driver’s license or Department of Motor Vehicles state ID card. And every citizen and resident must have a “social” or Social Security Administration number—legitimate employment is impossible without one.

The countries that eschew a national ID system cite reasons of privacy, among others. But there are quite a few pros.

“The National ID Debate: Is the Philippines Ready?” is a briefing paper prepared by the Foundation for Media Alternatives. It lists the following advantages: better delivery of and access to government services; financial inclusion (the ID can allow unemployed Filipinos and those without other forms of ID to open a bank account); law enforcement; public safety (counter-terrorism); and social inclusion (this ID is for all Filipinos, whether employed or not).

The convenience promised by a national ID card is very attractive. We have all struggled with getting a TIN (tax ID), SSS (social security), and GSIS (government social security), having to go to different agencies, filling up and submitting similar requirements, and waiting in line.

But glitches still abound. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s UMID (unified multi-purpose ID) system brings together SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth, and Home Development Mutual Fund numbers, but from my personal experience, government agencies still ask for their particular numbers when checking their databases.

Dr. Jenny Ortuoste, a writer and communication consultant

said she recently went to an SSS branch and asked for an update of her contributions, showing her UMID card. There was some delay pulling up her  information until she handed over her old SSS card. “Ay, meron ka pala niyan, bakit di mo agad pinakita,” the person assisting her said, going on to access her data. So what’s the UMID card for?

Now, the cons. First, technical and logistical issues. There isn’t any guarantee the system will work properly, as India is now experiencing with their Aadhaar. Envisioned to help the government crackdown on welfare fraud and corruption, the system is vulnerable to breaches and faux pas. A Washington Post report cites that clerical errors and other boo-boos have prevented people from availing of government benefits and services, claiming salaries, and going to school.

The system is said to be so troublesome that “in some cases, mistakes by Aadhaar operators have led to dogs, trees, and chairs reportedly being issued Aadhaar cards.”

 Other potential risks, says the FMA paper, to having a national ID are its use for surveillance and subsequent privacy right violations; infringement of civil liberties; costs (the Philippine Statistical Authority’s budget, which will implement the system, is P2 billion for 2018); data security (remember the 2016 leak of voters’ data from the Commission on Elections?); doubts of it effectiveness over crime and terrorism; and ‘function creep’ or the “use of a tool for purposes that go beyond its originally stated goals.”

An example of the latter is again the Aadhaar. For 500 rupees and 10 minutes, its database can be accessed, according to the FMA paper citing a 2018 report.

The ease of having just one number for TIN, SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth, and all other agency numbers we need is incalculable. But imagine also the inconvenience caused by a system glitch. You could be refused service at the agency, be asked to comply with more requirements, and have to go back and forth till the matter is fixed.

 In any case, though, this system isn’t going to be implemented any time soon. Senator Panfilo Lacson says it will take five years for the PH system’s rollout “kasi wala masyadong technical or IT ability ang PSA.”

 So whether you’re for or against this, there’s still time to study the pros and cons and find ways of strengthening such an ID system, for government to better serve the Filipino people.