While the police have long been issuing clearances, an official of the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday expressed reservations about a proposed piece of legislation seeking to create the National Police Clearance System.

Victor Lorenzo, officer-in-charge of the NBI Office of the Assistant Director for Information and Communications Technology Service, said such a PNP system might create confusion.

Lorenzo said that though the NBI appreciates the intent of the bill, it is the legal mandate of the bureau to "maintain and be the central repository of all criminal and non-criminal records."

In relation to that function, the NBI is also serving as the national clearing house for criminal records in the country.

"We cited in our position paper the disadvantages in having two national clearance systems with the PNP and NBI because of the possibility of the confusion it could bring to the public later on," Lorenzo said.

"What will happen if the records of the other system will indicate no criminal records while in our database with criminal record? Which will prevail? That's one of the issues that we have raised," he explained.

Senator Ronald "Bato" de la Rosa, a former chief of the PNP, sought the creation of the police's own clearance system under Senate Bill 725.

The NBI official said that the bureau is mandated to create a modernized clearance and identification center in compliance with Republic Act 10867.

He said that the NBI is already working toward that end by digitizing its clearance system to make its access more convenient for the transacting public.

Likewise, the NBI is pushing for the PNP to join the initiative of the Department of Justice to develop the National Justice Information Service, a criminal records database for the use of all government agencies under the umbrella of the DoJ.

De la Rosa said they will note and consider the points raised by the NBI. Nonetheless, he said he'll still push to make the PNP clearance system national in scope and coverage.
The senator said that while he respects RA 10867, he will not stop his efforts to modernize the PNP just because of a "plain turf war."