Sunday, April 24, 2005

NR0421:Why all the secrecy over the Natl ID?

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release April 21, 2005
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, Chief of Staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Cellphone number 09213907362
Visit geocities.com/ap_news

Why is Malacanang keeping its executive order on the National ID system under wraps?

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said that Representatives and Senators alike should expose strong opposition to Malacanang's moves to impose a national ID system via the passage of an executive order. Beltran said that President Arroyo is guilty of gross abuse of executive authority.

"The President is exploiting her powers as the highest executive of the land and bypassing the powers of the legislative and judicial branches of government by passing an infamous EO that stands to further attack the already feeble front of human rights and civil rights in the country," he said.

"Creating a national ID system via a secret EO just goes to prove that the ID system has shady intents - that of curtailing civil liberties and democratic rights. It is dead certain that this EO has very contentious and infamous contents and provisions that will not survive the critique and opposition of human rights advocates, and this is why Malacanang is keeping it under close wraps," he added.

"Why all the secrecy? Why the defensive stance? If this is a measure that is genuinely meant for the public good and the protection of the Filipino people against terrorism, Malacanang would be more transparent and welcome the debate regarding the workings of the ID system," he said.

The veteran labor leader turned lawmaker that said that knowing the increasingly fascist character of the administration and its defense, intelligence and other security agencies, the national ID system that Malacanang has in mind will be a weapon against the admnistration's political critics and members of the progressive movement. "This ID system Malacanang is cooking up has all the makings of being a serious attack against the public interest and thelegal rights of individuals," he said.

"This ID system, without a doubt, will be a deadly addition to the already brutal arsenal of weapons the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is using against legitimate people's organizations and progressive party-lists such as Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women's Party," he said. "This is not an anti-terrorism scheme - it's a weapon against civilians and activists vocal and activue in their criticism against the Macapagal-Arroyo govenrment's increasing militarism and attacks against the economic welfare of the Filipino people," he said.#

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