Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson has filed a bill seeking to amend Republic Act 11055 or the Philippine Identification System (National ID) Act, to address potential concerns on data privacy.
Lacson said such an amendment may also serve as an opportunity for the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and other concerned agencies to purge the Philippine ID system of unauthorized registrants.
Citing information he received, Lacson noted that many if not most of the unauthorized registrants are Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) personnel who may have managed to register through fraudulent means.
In Filipino: Ping Lacson, Naghain ng Panukala sa National ID Law para Tugunan ang Posibleng Data Privacy Concerns
He said such a purging would restore the integrity of the National ID System, whose law he had authored and sponsored.
“This proposed measure seeks to amend the PhilSys Act to eliminate any visible or printed representation of the PSN (PhilSys Number) on the card, including microprinted forms. Instead, the PSN will be securely encoded along with biometric information within the card’s QR code,” Lacson said of his bill, Senate Bill 39.
“By doing this, access to the PSN will be strictly limited to authorized parties, who must follow regulated authentication procedures in compliance with current privacy laws and data protection standards,” he added.
Skip to PDF contentIn his bill, Lacson noted that the PSN is currently contained in the face of the PhilID along with other information including full name, sex, blood type, date and place of birth, and a photo.
But he said the PSN’s visibility on the card carries the risk of potential misuse including identity theft, fraudulent activities or unwarranted monitoring or profiling, among others.
“An instance in 2024 illustrated this risk, as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) issued a warning to the public to be vigilant against unauthorized individuals approaching cardholders and taking photographs of their national ID in exchange of cash, as this is crucial in preventing identity theft and fraud,” he said.
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Ping Lacson, Naghain ng Panukala sa National ID Law para Tugunan ang Posibleng Data Privacy Concerns
Naghain ng panukalang batas si Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson para amyendahan ang Republic Act 11055 o Philippine Identification System (National ID) Act, upang tugunan ang posibleng isyu sa data privacy.
Iginiit ni Lacson na ang panukala niya ay maaaring magbigay ng pagkakataon sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at ibang ahensya para alisin ang unauthorized registrants sa Philippine ID system.
Ayon sa impormasyong nakakarating kay Lacson, marami o kaya’y karamihan ng mga unauthorized registrants ay tauhan ng Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) na naka-register sa ilegal na paraan.
Sa ganitong paglilinis, aniya, maibabalik ang integridad ng Philippine ID System. Si Lacson ang may-akda at sponsor ng ngayo’y National ID law.
“This proposed measure seeks to amend the PhilSys Act to eliminate any visible or printed representation of the PSN (PhilSys Number) on the card, including microprinted forms. Instead, the PSN will be securely encoded along with biometric information within the card’s QR code,” ani Lacson sa kanyang panukala, ang Senate Bill 39.
“By doing this, access to the PSN will be strictly limited to authorized parties, who must follow regulated authentication procedures in compliance with current privacy laws and data protection standards,” dagdag niya.
Ipinunto ni Lacson sa panukala niya na sa ngayon, ang PSN ay kita sa PhilID card kasama ang ibang impormasyon tulad ng buong pangalan, kasarian, blood type, kaarawan, at larawan.
Nguni’t dahil nakikita agad ang PSN sa card, maaari itong pagsamantalahin ng mga sangkot sa identity theft at hindi kanais-nais na monitoring o profiling.
“An instance in 2024 illustrated this risk, as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) issued a warning to the public to be vigilant against unauthorized individuals approaching cardholders and taking photographs of their national ID in exchange of cash, as this is crucial in preventing identity theft and fraud,” aniya.
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