USE WF REPRESENTATIVES

RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines

DATE: 01
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ty)
Quezon City twe_ [000
BY!

SEVENTEENTH (17TH) CONGRESS

Fisie Ragulae'Seuatid REGISTRATION UNIT

BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE

Introduced by: Rep. ARNOLFO TEVES, JR.

AN ACT MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BIOMETRIC
TECHNOLOGY-BASED NATIONAL ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION
SYST

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to introduce a national electronic identification system that will promote
convenience for Filipinos in transacting with the government and at the same time for the
government to provide efficient services. The national electronic identification system is
envisioned to use fingerprint-based biometric technology. It will be voluntary for all
Filipinos whether residing in the Philippines or abroad. It will be adopted in all
transactions with the government.

Fingerprint-based biometric technology is ideal for a national electronic identification
system with the existence of an initial database at the Commission on Elections
(COMELEC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), As of 2016, there are
54,363,844 Filipinos enrolled in the COMELEC biometrics nationwide and 1,376,067
from the overseas workers (OFWs) group. In 2015, the Philippine National Police
declared that the current number in their Automated Fingerprint Identification Sy:
(AFIS) database is at 761,000 fingerprints. On the other hand, the Social Security
(SSS) reported that it has issued over four million biometric-based Unified Multi-Purpose
Identification System (UMID) cards for the year 2014, According to the NBI, there were
63 biometrics centers in the country as of the year 2012, Philippine passports are also
now being issued employing biometric technology.



The necessity of a national electronic identification system in the Philippines is
underscored by the need to reform tedious and circuitous government procedures that
waste the time and energy of the public and government institutions themselves, In light
of ASEAN integration, the urgency of easing business processes is also gaining
momentum and the Philippines can take advantage of potential local and foreign business
investments, Furthermore, the world is rapidly moving towards high-technology
equipment, which offer innovative products that can greatly enhance efficiency in the
country, particularly the delivery of frontline government services to its citizens.

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

i

ARNOLFO A. TEVES, JR.


ONnnaene

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

‘VENTEE)
Fi

TH (17TH) CONGRESS
¢ Regular Session

House Bill No. 8448

Introduced by: Rep. ARNOLFO A. TEVES, JR.

AN ACT MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BIOMETRIC
TECHNOLOGY-BASED NATIONAL ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION
SYSTEM

Be it enacted in the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as “The National Electronic
Identification System Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. \t is the policy of the State to promote a just and
dynamic social order that shall ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and
free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, and
improved quality life for all, In this regard, there is a pressing need to have an effecti
and efficient national identification system in order to facilitate transactions with the
government and address the issue of red tape in the government bureaucracy, and to
simplify the processes relative to public and private services.

SECTION 3. Features of the National Electronic ID System, All data related to the
National Electronic Identification System shall be stored in a computer database that will
be managed by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in coordination with the
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Individual records
shall contain the name, birth date, eye color, gender, fingerprints and palm prints,
photograph, permanent residence, date of registration, and a Common Refe!

ence Number



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(CRN), which shall be unique to cach and every Filipino to be issued solely by the PSA
in coordination with the Philippine Embassies and Consular Offices for those residing
outside the Philippines,

SECTION 4. Roles and Functions of Agencies, The PSA shall serve as the main
repository of all individual identification data and shall create and maintain a Filipino
Citizen Registry,

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI),
Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health and Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth),
Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS), Land Transportation Office (LTO),
Philippine Regulations Commission (PRC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR),
Philippine Postal Services (PPS), Philippine Embassies and Consular Offices of the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the local civil registry offices of all local
government units shall coordinate with the PSA to promulgate the implementing rules
and regulations, and determine the technology requirements.

The PSA shall also observe best practices of other countries in the adoption of a National
ID system.

SECTION 5. Registration/ Enrollment in the National Electronic ID System. Upon
completion of the necessary technology infrastructure in accordance with this Act, any
Filipino citizen may exercise the option to have his/her biometrics data included in the
database for a National Electronic Identification System by applying for registration at
the office of the Local Civil Registrar of the city or municipality where one is a resident.
Also, any Filipino residing abroad shall apply for registration at the nearest Philippine
Embassy or Consular Office of the country where he/she is residing

SECTION 6. Change in Material Information. Any person who intends to change
data related to his/her identification information already stored in the national computer
database including, but not limited to, marital status, permanent residence, or any
material data shall have the duty to inform the Local Civil Registrar, or Philippine
Embassy/Consular Office where the person is residing within a certain period as shall be
prescribed by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Cases with regards to changes in material information shall include, the following, among
others:

1. Change in name, family name by virtue of court order or by application of law,
such as when a woman adopts a surname of the husband through marriage: and


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2. Such other revisions that may be deemed necessary by the identity holder such as
change in facial features due to change or medical intervention.

SECTION 7. Functional Uses of National Electronic ID System. The data stored in
the National Electronic ID system will serve as the official identification of a Filipino
citizen of the Republic of the Philippines, It will consolidate all existing government
instituted identification systems into one, centralized and efficient identification system.
The National Electronic ID system shall be used for transactions which require
verification of one’s identity such as, but not limited to:

1. transactions with any government agency;

2. filing applications for any services and benefits offered by the GSIS, the s
Philhealth, and LTO;

3, transacting tax payments with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR);

4. availing of services in any government hospital, health center or similar
institutions;

5. proof of identity in any official and business transactions; and

6, other similar transactions or uses which may be defined by the PSA in the
implementing rules and regulations

SECTION 8. Identification Technology. This Act mandates the installation of state-
of-the-art fingerprint-based biometric machines in all relevant agencies for coordination
and verification of data and identity holders. The government shall provide a single,
uniform biometric data format and a common platform, which will be the same in all
relevant agencies to ensure compatibility of the technology throughout the entire
government system, This means all agencies concerned must coordinate their
technological infrastructure to pair up or comply with the requirements of the fingerprint-
based biometric technology.

Biometrics refers to the quantitative analysis that provides a positive identification of an
individual such as voice, photograph, fingerprint, signature, iris, and/or such other
identifiable features captured by a device called Data Capture Machine (DCM)

ECTION 9. Penal Provisions. Any person who knowingly uses false information in
applying for registration at the National Electronic ID system through fraud and who
utilizes the data in an unlawful manner, shall be punished with a fine of not less than
Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000,00) but not more than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos
(P500,000.00) or an imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than two
(2) years, or both at the discretion of court

Any person who has already registered with the Nation ID system but shall willfully and
unjustifiably refuse to accept, acknowledge or recognize the National Electronic ID
system as the only official identification of the identity holder shall also be punished with

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the same penalties or imprisonment stated in the preceding paragraph.

Any public official or employee who connives with the offender in committing the acts
mentioned in the last two (2) preceding paragraphs or, on his own, causes the registration
of unauthorized information or approves the registration of the same, despite knowledge
of the existence of fraud or false information, shall suffer the corresponding, penalties
imposed in the last two (2) preceding paragraphs and shall suffer the penalty of perpetual
disqualification from government service

The penalties imposed in this Section shall be equal to those imposed on acts punishable
by existing penal and other laws including those acts of omission

SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days upon
approval of this Act, the PSA in coordination with relevant agencies, shall promulgate the
implementing rules and regulations and exchange information on existing technologies
and best practices on the establishment and maintenance of a National Electronic 1D
system in order to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 11. Funding. The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this Act
shall be included in the budget of the PSA and all implementing agencies in the Annual
General Appropriations Act

SECTION 12, Separability Clause. If any provision, section or part of this act shall be
declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, invalidate or impair
any other provisions, sections or parts hereof.

SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SECTION 14, Effeetivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation

whichever comes first.

Approved,