SSS, GSIS unified multi-ID violates right to privacy, civil liberties

Anakpawis Partylist and Kilusang Mayo Uno protested today at the Social Security System (SSS) head office to oppose the implementation of the Unified Multi-purpose ID (UMID) system, which will be the Arroyo government’s tool to surveil citizens and squeeze funds for its electoral campaign.

The all-in-one utility card or the UMID-compliant card will replace existing cards of the 50 million SSS, GSIS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig members. The card bears a common reference number (CRN), the primary identifier of an individual transacting business or availing of services from any government agency.

The UMID system sprouted from the Ramos administration’s Executive Order (EO) 800 that directed government agencies to adopt a uniform data collection for existing identification system. The EO was assailed by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional based on grounds of infringement on the citizen’s right to privacy. The Arroyo administration issued a similar directive, EO 420, on April 2005, and KMU has been the main proponent against such EO.

The entire project is expected to produce 12 million IDs for the next five years that will cost P1.7 billion. The new GSIS card, due for initial roll-out this month, will cost P270 million or P180 per GSIS member while the new SSS-Philpost card will cost P140 each.  

“At the core of UMID is the national identification system, a program proposed by the government since former president Ramos, resurrected by Estrada, and now railroaded by the Arroyo administration,” said KMU Secretary General Roger Soluta. 

Arroyo specified in a subsequent EO on January 2008 that the Social Security ID System will be the core of the UMID system, and directed the SSS to implement the streamlining and harmonization of the ID systems of all government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations.

“The National Computerized ID system proposed by Ramos more than a decade ago was strongly opposed by the public and was invalidated by the Supreme Court in 1998. Now, the Arroyo administration is resurrecting the ID system as part of its so-called ‘anti-terror efforts.’

“The Department of Defense and AFP have been strongly advocating for the implementation of an ID system. This could be a part of the AFP’s desperate attempt to ‘execute the final phase of counterinsurgency’ as its June 30 deadline nears.”

In 2005, Arroyo said instituting a national ID system is ‘one of the key elements of the anti-terrorism and internal security measures of her administration’,” Soluta said.

“This Unified ID system will serve a dual purpose for the Arroyo administration – first as a money-making scheme to generate campaign kitty and second, as a convenient way to embed a barcode and track down Filipinos,” said Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod.

“Instant Destruction of our civil liberties – that is what this new ID system spells out,” Maglunsod concluded. #