We urgently need national ID

The decision of the Supreme Court declaring unconstitutional Executive Order No. 464 and declaring constitutional Executive Order No. 420 are both welcome. E.O. 464 that would not allow officials to testify before Congress without consent of Malacañang goes against the principle of check and balance, a must in presidential systems.

E.O. 420 allows government to require a national ID for government workers.

I hope the President and Congress pursue the program to have a national ID for all. We need this for the security of the state, and especially to fight terrorism and also to check criminality.

Without the national ID system, fighting terrorism will not be as effective. How many terrorists and criminals have escaped apprehension by just changing their names and identities? If we have a national ID system, we do not need these many cards. We even will not need Residence Tax Certificates. The national ID will do.

And one does not need court, police, or NBI clearances. His records are there in his file. It's easier to land a job or to get into business transactions with government or the private sector.

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Human rights groups, including rebels and leftists may cry a river opposing the national ID system. But what is important is the state. For the sake of the state and that of peace and order, some freedoms are dispensed with. Individuals must subordinate their rights to the rights of society.

If one does not have a criminal record or a plan to commit a crime why must he be afraid to be identified. A national ID system identifies everybody and makes it easier to catch a criminal.

If they can be easily identified and prosecuted, the killing of the perceived enemies of the state by vigilantes will stop.

Meanwhile, let's have it on a voluntary basis. Give it to those who volunteer to have a national ID. Don't force those who do not want. Travel is easier for those who have and transacting business, too, in other places. Those who do not have will become suspect.

Somebody proposes a business deal which you suspect has some evil designs. Ask for his national ID. He does not have? No deal.

This will greatly minimize the "bodol-bodol" gang.

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In almost all countries they have national identification system, they call it by other names. Their criminality rate is low.

We do not have because the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a national ID system proposed under then President Fidel Ramos. The Supreme Court then said, it needed a law but the legislators at that time were interested more in protecting individual rights to the rights of the state.

Now that we have a strong President, I hope she pushes through the national ID system. The fight against terrorism cannot be effective without the national ID system.

The President will be supported if she pushes through a national ID system. But, meanwhile, she can have a voluntary one. And very many will be willing to sign in.

Then, we must jail our officials found by the courts to be dishonest. If our justice system is strong, we may not need a death penalty.

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I got an e-mail from my friend in Ann Arbor, Michigan Jeff Taggart. He wrote I was right, Spiro Agnew, former vice-president of the U.S. "pleaded 'no contest' to tax evasion and money laundering as a result of the $29,500 as bribe he took as governor of Maryland."

When my other friend Neil read it, he texted me both Jeff and I were right.

Jeff said, Agnew was also "fined $10,000 and given a three-year probation." The question was why did he not go to prison? Jeff said, "Resigning the vice-presidency was already enough punishment," to which Jeff disagreed.

Anyway, Spiro Agnew was disbarred in the state of Maryland and died in 1998.

Jeff said, Agnew was widely expected to run for president in 1976. "He blamed Nixon for releasing the information on bribes and tax evasion in order to divert attention from Watergate which did not".

Nixon and Agnew never spoke to each other after Agnew resigned until they died.

Valuable lessons of history.*

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