Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Sunday urged the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to fast track the printing and delivery of national ID cards.
Lacson, Partido Reporma standard bearer in the upcoming May 2022 elections, also said the PSA should increase its information drive on how Filipinos can apply for their respective national ID.
"As the implementing agency of the PhilSys Act, the PSA should address these issues as soon as possible," Lacson said in a statement.
"It should expedite the printing and delivery of the National ID cards. It must also renew and intensify its information drive on how Filipinos can apply for them," he added.
Last Friday, January 28, Lacson, author and principal sponsor of the National ID law, posted on Twitter that he finally received his national ID card.
His tweet invited a flurry of questions from netizens, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who inquired where and how they can apply for their ID cards.
Lacson vowed to check with the PSA on the delays in the delivery of the National ID cards after netizens asked about the delays while some OFWs asked him how they can apply for their PhilSys cards.
"I applied last February 4, 2021. Last time I checked with PSA, they told me that they’re prioritizing 4P’s beneficiaries and similarly situated segments of our population. I stopped following up," he responded to a Twitter user who is still waiting for her National ID after applying for it last year.
"Now that I received mine, I will ask again for the others like you," Lacson assured.
While in his case, the birth date on his card appeared inaccurate, he is hopeful that the national ID system will mean better access to social services and protection from crime and corruption.
"Being an author and the principal sponsor of the Philsys Act, I hope it will help immensely improve social services, our government’s fight against crime and corruption and most importantly, public service in general," Lacson said on his Twitter account Saturday.