To Be Identified or Not
Circulating in various email groups today is a joke about a man who,
ordering pizza by phone, is refused the flavor he wanted because his ID,
which the pizza man demanded, showed he has high blood pressure and
cholesterol. He was also advised to pay cash since his ID number also
showed he has overdrawn his credit card. When the customer cursed in
exasperation, the man advised him to keep his cool since his ID number
said he already has a police record. Although the story brings out smiles,
it also underlines the public’s anxiety over the National Identification
System which the government is raring to implement.
BY
RONALD B. ESCANLAR and AILEEN T. ESTOQUIA
Bulatlat
Part 3: State
terrorism?
A Social Weather
Station (http://www.sws.org.ph) study released on April 11 reveals that 60
percent of Filipinos surveyed believe that a national ID can help fight
terrorism, while 45 percent trust that the government will not violate
their right to privacy.
The same study says
that support for the national ID as a tool versus terrorism is high across
socio-economic classes.
However, according to
Privacy International (http://www.privacy.org), simple ID cards amplify
the authority of the police.
A Privacy
International survey of ID cards found claims of police abuse in all
countries surveyed. Most cases involved the arbitrary detention of people
who fail to present an ID card.
Their survey even
found cases of virtual discrimination based on the data supplied by the ID
cards.
“While it is true
that cards containing non-sensitive data are less likely to be used
against the individual, cards are often alleged to be the vehicle for
discriminatory practices,” says the group in their website.
The group further
explains that police authorities who have the power to demand IDs usually
have corresponding powers to detain people who fail to prove their
identity. The group cited Germany, a highly industrialized country, where
police can legally detain people for up to 24 hours.
“The question of who
is targeted for ID checks is left largely to the discretion of police,”
Privacy International concludes.
Part 2: The Legal
Issues
BACK TO
TOP ■
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION ■
COMMENT
© 2004 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications
Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided
its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.