National ID

If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to be afraid of the national ID that the government plans to implement next month in selected regions in the country.

At least, that was the reaction of Police Regional Office 7 Director Debold Sinas when certain sectors expressed their concern that Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Act, would trample on the rights to freedom of movement and privacy, as well as access to social services.

“This will give us the opportunity to segregate the good guys from the bad guys,” Sinas had said.

Now I understand their apprehensions. Apparently, the national ID will keep tab on who has been naughty and who has been nice, aside from eliminating the need to present other forms of identification when transacting with the government and the private sector, “subject to appropriate authentication measures based on a biometric identification system.”

So I guess, Big Brother will soon be watching all of us, and that includes foreign nationals who reside in the country.

In fact, the government is ready to squander, oh did I write “squander,” I meant spend P30 billion in the next four years to ensure that everyone gets with the program, so to speak.

Mind you, it’s not mandatory. Although, if you don’t have one, transacting with government agencies will be difficult. You will become marginalized, living in the fringes of society, unable to have access to public services that you are entitled to as a tax-paying citizen.

Does that mean that if you have been paying your monthly premiums to the Social Security System, you don’t get a pension upon retirement if you don’t have a national ID?

I think that’s a valid question.

I, for one, don’t have any problem registering at the Philippine Statistics Authority, or any other government agencies that will be allowed to issue the national ID, because, like Sinas said, I have nothing to hide.

After all, what kind of information will the national ID hold? Let’s check, shall we?

Hmm, it will have your full name, address, date of birth, sex and blood type. Your mobile number, marital status and email address are optional. Pretty standard information, if you ask me.

Oh, but then there’s the biometric data, which will contain your picture, fingerprints, iris scan and other identifiable features.

Well, that explains why people who have secrets, say a criminal record, for example, don’t like the idea of a national ID. They’ll be forever marked. Not only them, but anyone who questions a public policy who is already in the government’s radar can be monitored.

And it’s not even 1984.