Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
8294

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT FACILITATING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
BY STRENGTHENING THE FRAUD DETECTION, PREVENTION AND
ELIMINATION CAPABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT BY CREATING A
PHILIPPINE DEATH CHECK (PDC) REGISTER AND ONLINE DEATH
VERIFICATION (ODV) SYSTEM UNDER THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS
AUTHORITY, AMENDING SECTION 6 OF ACT NO. 3753,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

The bill seeks to create a centralized source of information to verify the death of any
person in the Philippines to detect fraud and act quickly to help reduce fraudulent
events caused mostly by identity theft

Obtaining the identity of dead persons is rampant in the Philippines to get financial
benefits. We have seen this in the WellMed issue of PhilHealth where some patients
who availed of dialysis procedures are reportedly dead at the time of the availment of
the procedure. It is also used to perpetrate electoral fraud or to unlawfully avail of
social benefits provided by the government through its agencies, such as. Social
Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Home
Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO).
In this proposal, death verification request may be processed by PSA through the
death verification system. The Online Death Verification System that will be developed
and utllized shall be readily accessible to Philhealth, SSS, GSIS, HDMF and the
Commission on Elections to prevent fraud In health care, insurance and social benefit
systems, as well as in our electoral processes.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is most earnestly sought.

Ll) pra

LUIS RAYMUND JAY” F./VILLAFUERTE, JR,

1


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.8294

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY" F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT FACILITATING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
BY STRENGTHENING THE FRAUD DETECTION, PREVENTION AND
ELIMINATION CAPABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT BY CREATING A
PHILIPPINE DEATH CHECK (PDC) REGISTER AND ONLINE DEATH
VERIFICATION (ODV) SYSTEM UNDER THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS
AUTHORITY, AMENDING SECTION 6 OF ACT NO. 3753,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be It enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines In
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short title. - This Act shall be known as the "PSA Online Death
Verification System Act".

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State acknowledges that lack of immediate access
to death data Is being exploited by criminals and syndicates in perpetrating fraudulent
activities and corrupt practices. The State recognizes the vital role of information and
communication technology in protecting the government and Filipinos against identity
fraud. Therefore, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to establish an efficient,
integrated and centralized online death verification system that allows immediate
access to death data by government instrumentalities, such as Commission on
Elections (COMELEC), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC), Government
Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Home Development
Mutual Fund (HDMF) and Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) in order to ensure
early detection and prevention of identity fraud perpetrated against the Government
and its instrumentalities and agencies.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used In this Act:

(a) Authentication - refers to the process of verifying the death of any person with the
Philippine Death Check Register through the Online Death Verification System

(b) COMELEC - refers to the Commission on Election of the Philippines.


(c) Data subject - refers to an Individual whose death Is being verified.

(d) GSIS - refers to the Government Service Insurances System created by
Commonwealth Act No. 186, as amended.

(e) HDMF - refers to the Home Development and Mutual Fund created under President
Decree No, Republic Act No. 9679

(f) Mortality Data - refers to the Information indicated In the Death Certificate duly
registered with the Local Civil Registrar in accordance with Act No. 3753.

(g) Personal Information - refers to any Information whether recorded in a material
form or not, from which the identity of an individual is apparent or can be reasonably
and directly ascertained by the entity holding the information, or when put together
with other information would directly and certainly identify an individual

(h) PHIC - refers to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation created under
Republic Act No. 7875, as amended

(i) SSS - refers to the Social Security System established under Republic Act No:
1161, as amended.

Sec. 4. Philippine Death Check Register. - There shall be established a Philippine
Death Check (PDC) Register to be maintained by the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA). The PDC is a centralized and electronic database containing mortality data
registered with the Local Civil Registrar. PSA shall ensure the security and integrity of
the PDC by safeguarding these from data breach and any other mode of tampering
data to perpetrate fraud;

Once death Is registered with the Local Civil Registry, the Information shall be
immediately uploaded to the Philippine Death Check Registrar Electronic System.

The PSA, in coordination with the Department of Information and Communication
Technology (DICQ and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) shall Implement such
programs to facilitate Immediate access by PSA to mortality data registered with the
Local Civil Registrars.

SEC. 5. Online Death Verification System, - The PSA shall establish an Online Death
Verification System, which shall be a centralized and online system for death
verification that shall ensure timely detection and prevention of identity theft of
deceased persons.

The PSA, through the Online Death Verification System shall verify the death of the
data subject upon receipt of information necessary to verify the identity of the data
subject, as may be required In the Implementing Rules and Regulations, and shall
immediately notify COMELEC, PHIC, GSIS, SSS, HDMF, PVAQ of the death
verification result


Except for COMELEC, PHIC, SSS, GSIS, HDMF, and PVAO, an Information Sharing
Agreement between PSA and other Government Instrumentalities or Government
Agencies shall be required prior to being granted access to the Online Death
Verification System.

SEC. 6. Information Sharing. - The PSA shall Immediately make available to the
COMELEC Philhealth, GSIS, SSS, HDMF, and PVAO, without cost, such other data
in the PDC Registrar as may be necessary for the validation of any member or
beneficiary claim made with said agencies.

SEC. 7. Data Privacy and Confidentiality. - Government instrumentalities and
agencies granted access under Section 5 of this Act shall ensure at all times the
confidentiality of any personal information that comes to its knowledge and
possession, and the same shall be used solely for verification and authentication
purposes,

SEC. 8, Death Repotting and Registration. - To ensure an up-to-date death information
system. Section 6 of Act No. 3753 or otherwise known as the Law on Registry of Civil
Status Is hereby amended as follows:

SECTION 6. Death certificate and register. — No human body shall be
buried unless the proper death certificate has been presented and recorded
in the office of the local civil registrar, The following physician who attended
the deceased or, in his default the health officer concerned, or in default of
the latter, any member of the family of the deceased or any person having
knowledge of the death, shall report the same to the local health authorities,
who shalll Issue a death certificate and shalll order the same to be recorded
In the office of the local civil registrar (Li 8 HOURS FRI

DEATH OF THE DECEDENT. The death certificate, which shall be issued
by the attending physician of the deceased or, in his default, by the proper
health officer, shall contain the following Mortality Data be furnished by the
person reporting the death; (a) date and place of death; (b) full name, (c)
age, (d) sex, (e) occupation or profession, (f) residence; (g) status as
regards marriage, (h) nationality of the deceased, and (I) probable cause of
death

During epidemics, bodies may be buried provided the proper death
certificates have been secured, which shall be registered not later 9 than
five days after the burial of the body.

THE LCR SHALL REGISTER THE MORTALITY DATA IN PDC
REGISTRAR IMMEDIATELY WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS
FROM THE TIME OF RECEIPT.

SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulation. - The Philippine Statistics Authority shall
issue rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within one hundred
twenty (120) days from the effectivity of this Act.


SEC. 10. Appropriation. - The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation
of this Act shall be sourced from any available funds of the National Treasurer, and is
hereby appropriated and authorized to be released for its initial operations

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional,
such sections or parts not affected thereby shall remain In full force and effect.

SEC, 12, Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations
and administrative regulations or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC, 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,