ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ID

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
NEWS RELEASE
09 JANUARY 2008CHR

CHR ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ID SYSTEM: “THERE IS YET NO CAUSE FOR ALARM”--COMMISSIONER WILHELM D. SORIANO



CHR-NCR Commissioner-in-Charge Wilhelm D. Soriano today said the Commission sees the move of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to direct the Department of National Defense (DND) to study/review its `idea’ of implementing the national ID system.

Commissioner Soriano added that it is quite premature to make any comment on the matter since it was just an idea from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to come out with a National ID System. The CHR was happy that the President has directed the Department of National Defense (DND) to conduct further study of the proposal from the AFP and added that whatever recommendations DND may submit it should be human rights compliant and within the boundary of the law.

Although he said that there is yet no reason for alarm, the Commission is not discounting the vigilance showed by the public on the important issue. “When the time comes, we will be the first one to request a copy to analyze and recommend measures on the proposal and later on issue an advisory on the subject,” the CHR-NCR Commissioner-in-Charge said.