NEWS RELEASE - February 20, 2005
References: Connie Bragas-Regalado, Chairperson, 259-1145 & 0927-2157392
Vince Borneo, Information Officer, 0927-7968198

National ID system will not solve 'terrorism'

Migrant workers and their families today reiterated its opposition to the Macapagal-Arroyo government's frenzied drive to railroad a centralized ID system on both the national and local levels.

"We oppose this National Identification System being pushed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Angelo Reyes and Senator Panfilo Lacson. We will never accede to this system that will result in the invasion of anyone's privacy, wiretapping of communications facilities, surveillance, illegal arrests and other wanton violations of human rights that shall arise with the National ID proposal," Migrante Sectoral Party Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado said.

Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo, Sec. Reyes and Sen. Lacson have used the recent spate of terror attacks in the country and the ongoing gun battles in Sulu to put the National ID proposal and anti-terror bills in high gear in the legislature and local government units.

"The National ID system and so-called anti-terror bills will not address the issue of violence in the country, nor will it guarantee more and better social services from government offices for OFWs and their families. The militarists in government have conveniently place these proposals in the priority list to douse intense public criticism it is receiving on its stand on the coming crackdowns on undocumented OFWs in Malaysia and Japan and for its efforts to increase taxes," Bragas-Regalado said.

The MIGRANTE leader also said that government "should work hard to institute genuine reforms in the economic and political fields of the country to combat violence and its root causes instead of pushing for the anti-people terror bills being proposed by Congress and the President."

"Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo should have an action plan on how to attend to the problems face the citizenry, including those who are being displaced by the carnage in Sulu and the upcoming crackdown on undocumented migrants by the Malaysian government that will start on March 1," Bragas-Regalado said.

Migrante would cooperate with all like-minded organizations and personalities who are against the repressive proposals in Congress and for alternatives to address the increasing spates of violence in the country.

"Exploiting the bombings and hyping paranoia in order to railroad the passage of the National ID system and anti-terror bills will not quell the growing opposition to the Macapagal-Arroyo administration nor will it help distressed Filipinos here and abroad," she ended. #