244 *KMU v. Dir. Gen.

487 SCRA 623 (uniform ID system)

April 19, GR 167798 Carpio
2006
Article 3, Section 1 Erin Ng
Petitioners: NAFLU-KMU Respondents: DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NATIONAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Doctrine:
The right to privacy does not bar the adoption of reasonable ID
systems by government entities.

Facts:
1. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order (EO) No. 420 on April 13,
2005, directing all government agencies and government-owned and - controlled
corporations to adopt uniform data collection and format for their existing
identification (ID) systems.
Issue/s: Ruling:
1. Whether EO 420 was a usurpation of legislative power 1. No
by the President
2. Whether EO 420 infringed on the citizen’s right to
privacy
Rationale/Analysis/Legal Basis:

The SC ruled in favour of its constitutionality, as EO 420 falls under Section 17

Article VII. Moreover, it does not violate one’s right to privacy as the data required
is the normal data that said gov’t entities already collect from the public (if not
less), and there are safeguards created for the protection of said data.

In issuing EO 420, the President is simply performing the constitutional duty to ensure
that laws are faithfully executed.
EO 420 shows no constitutional infirmity because it even
narrowly limits the data that can be collected, recorded and shown compared
to the existing ID systems of government entities. EO 420 further provides
strict safeguards to protect the confidentiality of the data collected, in contrast
to the prior ID systems which are bereft of strict administrative safeguards.