Is it to "Serve well" or to "Shut down"?

Is it to "Serve well" 

or to "Shut down"?

(Thoughts on the National Identification System and its means brought by a 'order'-hungry regime to a subjected people)

As in the past years, attempts to impose a national identification system now seems to be imminent. This time with the approval of the congress and by Duterte himself, this measure, proposed more than two decades ago is still carrying its motive: to control the movement of people. 

For according to ABS-CBN News published last October 29, it stated that the government will soon start a 6-month test run of the National ID System, as it aims to register over 100 million Filipino citizens and resident aliens by 2023.
From that trial run, National Statistician Lisa Bersales said that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in coordination with the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost), will hold a “proof of concept” trial starting November, wherein some 1 million beneficiaries of the Unconditional Cash Transfer Program will be registered under the "Philippine Identification System (PhilSys)".

With that article, as well as other recent articles afforded to deal with the issue, its proponents, as in the past, insist that the enacted identification system can help improve the delivery of government services and to simplify public and private transactions- citing the fact that the need for a single identification system is a practical solution instead of multiple identifications, especially those issued by the government be it drivers license, social security, postal, or any other government-issued identification card.

However, this kind of system isn't unopposed by many- especially those whose primary issue deals with data privacy, amidst events passed involving digital technology be it phishing through the internet, hacking on government and private databases, even viruses that affect systems online.

But for others concerned, what's much worrisome is on how the state deals with personal information- knowing that with the present regime toying with power quite madly, the idea of a national identification system may turn out to be contrary to their statement of efficiency when it comes to its services, if not efficiency in trying to establish a totalitarian state of mass surveillance, population control with its social, political, and criminal profiling and mass murder. 

Sounds quite frank, for in an administration whose cabinet be full of ex-military officials, a supportive legislature, and an approving judiciary, it's easier to impose that kind of procedure, alongside other "important matters"  including those of changing the charter that can give Duterte greater authority, with less restrictions on his power to declare martial law, and even pave the way for perpetuating himself in power under one or another pretext.

Aside from that, that said plan meant a rehash of earlier attempts- with new terminologies perhaps, as for sure one would remember how that the planned identification system is also in conjunction with the Human Security Act (HSA) what was attempted during the Arroyo regime, and therefore will be used to intensify state terrorism and suppress people’s resistance- in the same way that the cedula system was used by the Spanish colonizers to oppress the Filipino people; 

And to think that apologists will also say that "other countries did that kind of procedure", then right was the late Gregorio rosal said, that neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Singapore, implemented a system of national identification- and these countries  are also known as "police states wherein the people do not enjoy democratic rights and their every movement is monitored and controlled by state authorities." Even China did that procedure which includes meriting or demeriting people- and in turn meant gaining or losing access to services. In this case, is this another possible attempt for the Philippines to toy upon?

But still, apologists continue to churn the "benefits" regardless of the nature of the regime as trying to curtail people's rights, parroting threats and justifying it madly.  In a time where things been done digitally, and seeing a regime wanting to utilise it for their ends, one would think if not to say that a real police state is been brewing, making chaos and all that, enough to justify a state whose regime as driven by paranoia, an indefinite state of seige; and with procedures such as the identification system, what more of a possible social reputation program, of massive use of surveillance cameras and enforcers willing to subvert the law for order, lies a perspective wherein democracy is replaced by the orderism they desired for: the view which the market likes at the expense of the people.

Pardon for the thought, for the fact that the regime toys with technology in pursuit of efficient distribution of services, it may also meant controlling people's movement or even suppressing democratic rights- given the government's will to mass monitor everyone's directions or its reputation, what more to target opposition be it those of political critics or dissenters.