Duterte says distribution of assistance much easier if national ID is fully implemented

April 14, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte said it would be easier to distribute cash and other government's assistance to the Filipinos if only the national identification system is fully implemented.

In a taped public message on Monday night, Duterte blamed the critics, including the left leaning groups, for failure of the administration not to fully enforced yet the ID system.

"If we only have an ID system, we could have avoided these (problems). Because all we have to do is to ask the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government), how many people in the barangay," he said.

He said it would be easier to distribute the food packs and other assistance by just showing the ID.

"That's why if the barangay conducts census as well as the DILG, if you're not in the list, then you won't be given," he said.

Duterte said the confusion in giving out help could no longer be blamed to the government.

"Don't point to the government because we already did everything even before, that's why we want ID. (But) you believe the left, the communists," he added.

In August 2018, Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11055, otherwise known as the Philippine Identification System.

But despite the passage of the law, the government has not fully implemented it.

Complaints have been raised by some quarters who failed to receive their share from the P200 billion Social Amelioration Program targeting about 18 million low-income families in the country in the wake of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and other parts of the country due to the coronavirus disease. Celerina Monte/DMS