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NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has started an investigation into the discovery of nearly 100 national IDs found in a garbage dump in Cauayan town, Negros Occidental.
Luis Gonzales, the PSA-Negros Occidental chief, said they are now in possession of 87 national IDs found in Barangay Tiling, Cauayan town last Wednesday, July 12.
Three of the IDs were PVC-type cards, while the remaining ones were government-certified identification ePhilID papers.
Gonzales said 80 out of the 87 national IDs were found near the residence of the barangay chairperson.
He said the Philippine Postal Corporation and PSA-authorized personnel are the only ones permitted to distribute national IDs.
Gonzales said those responsible for discarding the IDs could be held accountable under the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
Garbage dump find
Bernie Nuñez, a resident of Barangay Tiling, said it was his uncle who informed his family about the discovery.
Nuñez said he went to the area to check if any of the IDs belonged to people they knew.
He described seeing the national IDs piled up like trash in the garbage dump near the village hall.
Nuñez then recorded a video of the finding and posted it on his Facebook page, hoping to contact the owners of the IDs.
Barangay investigates
Marichu Carbaquil, the chairperson of Barangay Tiling, said she doubted that the IDs were deliberately dumped.
However, she said barangay officials were conducting a separate investigation to determine what happened.
Registration
As of July 22, the PSA has registered over 80 million Filipinos to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
In a statement, PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said the number of Filipinos registered to the PhilSys already accounted for a significant portion of the country’s population.
Nevertheless, the PSA has faced widespread criticism for the slow issuance and distribution of national IDs. It has received complaints regarding inaccurate information and unclear images on the national IDs.
The Philippine Identification System Act was approved in 2018 to establish a digital ID system for all Filipino citizens. Its objectives include facilitating transactions, enhancing financial inclusion, and improving access to government social services. – Rappler.com
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