Report - Guardian

62 The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005hence, it is the burden of government to show that A.O. No. 308 isjustified by some compelling state interest and that it is narrowlydrawn. ...Given the record-keeping power of the computer, only the indifferentwill fail to perceive the danger that A.O. No. 308 gives thegovernment the power to compile a devastating dossier againstunsuspecting citizens.” 132The majority declared the executive order as null and void.Since 2002 there have been several calls by politicians, police and industryrepresentatives for the introduction of a compulsory national ID card, one of the mainarguments for such a system usually being its benefit in countering terrorism. Scepticscontinue to point out that such a system would do nothing to stop terrorists, but othergroups, such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, concentrate on ensuring theimplementation of privacy safeguards in any future ID bill. 133The Philippine Social Security System already has a Smart-Card with fingerprintinformation stored digitally, but this card is not compulsory, and the fingerprints havenot yet been used for computer-based matching.The Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) in August 2003 presented its plansfor a biometrics-enhanced Smart-Card for all aliens resident in the Philippines. This wasintroduced as a counter-terrorist measure, as the Immigration Commissioner confirmed:“By adopting this new technology the bureau will be at par with otherimmigration centers around the world and, with proper coordinationwith international law enforcement agencies, it can now easily deterunwanted aliens from entering the country. The Philippines, being theclosest ally of the United States, now becomes a tactical battlefield inwar against Al Qaeda and other international terrorist cells.” 134Besides the biometric data in the form of thumbprint templates and facial structurerecords, the “Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card” (ACR-ICard) issupposed to contain personal information, criminal records and ACR paymenttransactions, as well as the date and time of a subject's arrival/departure. 135After a terrorist attack in February 2005, plans were re-introduced for a national IDcard. The president signed another executive order calling for its implementation andInterior Minister Angelo Reyes pushed for the system as a solution to terrorism:“With a national ID system, you cannot claim to be somebody elsebecause there will be one number for each person. (…) If you havenothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. There will be no curtailment132 Blas F. Ople, Petitioner, Vs. Ruben D. Torres, Alexander Aguirre, Hector Villanueva, Cielito Habito, RobertBarbers, Carmencita Reodica, Cesar Sarino, Renato Valencia, Tomas P. Africa, Head Of The National ComputerCenter And Chairman Of The Commission On Audit, Respondents, G.R. No. 127685, 1998.133 URL: http://www.ibp.org.ph/mainframe/pressrelease/pressrelease.php?id=27134 URL: http://itmatters.com.ph/news/news_08182003f.html135 ibid.