Senators yesterday hailed President Duterte’s signing of the National Identification System Act, branding the law as another landmark legislation aimed at delivering of public service and ensuring the protection citizens.

This as presidential spokesman Harry Roque expressed confidence the new law will pass the test of its constitutionality after an earlier version was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court due to the lack of a system to protect its database.

Senate Minority Leader and oppositionist Franklin Drilon was among the lawmakers who lauded President Duterte’s signing of the Philippine Identification System Act, saying: “This landmark legislation is meant to ensure efficient delivery of service and ease transactions with government agencies. I wish to thank the President for signing it into law.”

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the law will make it easier for Filipinos to transact with government as Republic Act 11055 harmonizes and integrates the redundant government ID cards into a single system. He also said it will help deter criminality.

“At long last, we now have a law that breaks the formidable barriers between government and the downtrodden and the poor due to the lack of identification,” Lacson said.

Lacson is the principal sponsor of the measure, aside from being a perennial author of the earlier related bills since his first term as senator in 2001.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito echoed Lacson’s pronouncement, saying: “This will further strengthen our efforts to protect our citizens from criminality and terrorism. Equally significant is the positive impact of the law on the efficiency of public service.”

Lacson said the measure aims to institute a single official identification for all citizens and foreign residents in the country.

Currently, he noted there are 33 different forms of “functional” identification cards issued by various government agencies — a situation that may lead to “duplication of efforts, wastage of resources and uncoordinated identity approaches.”

Drilon said that with a national ID system in place, the identification of individuals seeking basic services from government will be made faster and more accurate.

Drilon reiterated that the law will not affect data privacy as the pertinent provisions of the Data Privacy Act will still apply.

“We have provided enough safeguards to protect the individual’s right to privacy and to prevent unscrupulous persons from accessing confidential information,” he stressed.

Drilon said that the data included in the national ID system will not be different from the information currently present in all government-issued ID.

Under the new law, a Common Reference Number (CRN) will be given to all Filipinos containing essential information such as full name, address, date and place of birth, sex, civil status, signature, CRN and date of card issuance along with a recent photo.

Speaking in Malita, Davao Oriental, Roque said the new ID system will pass all constitutional requisites.

Roque added that there is a privacy law to safeguard the database and the government will have the sole obligation to protect the data gathered in this new system.

“It will promote national security because we will have a database of all Filipinos,” Roque said. “This will prevent identity theft and promote a better delivery of goods and services from the government to the people,” Roque said.