AFP: National ID better than discriminatory Muslim-only IDs

Personnel of the Cotabato City police office screen motorists at a checkpoint into the city from Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao.

Philippines — The military is against a proposal to issue identification cards to Muslims, saying it discriminates against people based on religion.

 

The Central Luzon police has suggested issuing special IDs to Muslims from Mindanao, saying this would allow authorities to identify people with ties to terrorists. 

A similar system is being implemented in Paniqui, Tarlac, according to Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino, Central Luzon police director. 

 

But Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces spokesman, is not buying the idea.

 

“It is discriminatory if you ask IDs from just one sector of society,” Padilla said in a press briefing in Malacañang. 

 

“Our proposal is when we start checking identification of individuals, it should not be aimed at certain sectors of our society but it must be applicable to everyone,” he added. 

 

“It’s good and it is logical to always check on the identities of everyone in your line that you are about to check.” 

 

Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa has said that the proposed ID card for Muslims did not come from the national headquarters but said that he does not see anything wrong with documenting evacuees from Marawi who may have moved to Central Luzon.

 

“I do not know what’s the violation there. Kung nagre-record ka lang sa mga tao na pumapasok sa iyong barangay,” he said in a MindaNews report.

'Not a religious war'

Padilla stressed that the Marawi crisis is not a religious war. 

 

“Not all our Muslim brothers and sisters are part of the rebellion. Only a few of them are,” the military spokesman said. 

 

“Terrorists are trying to make it appear that it is a religious war…Let us not allow them to incorporate such themes in this conflict,” he added.

 

Instead of issuing a special ID for Muslims, the military is pushing for a national ID system, a measure that some sectors fear could pave way to government invasion of privacy.  

 

“We are a strong proponent of the national ID system,” Padilla said.

 

“If that can be pushed, and I think Congress is pushing it, that would be some of the best measures that we can take,” he added.

 

Malacañang previously said it is open to a national ID system but clarified that the proposal is not among its priority bills.