National ID? What National ID?

President Duterte finally launched formally the long-delayed National ID last Friday. He asked the support of all Filipinos as his government pursues the long-overdue project. In a recorded video message at the virtual ceremony launching the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys, the president said PhilSys can make transactions more efficient and our lives more convenient.

No problem with such high presidential expectations. Provided, of course, that one already has physical possession of the ID. But the thing is, only Duterte himself seems to have been issued the ID, apparently to placate the old man, who blew his top at the start of the pandemic lockdowns last year when he discovered that there still was no ID despite a year having passed and millions already having been allocated and spent.

Maybe Duterte should blow his top again because even as he ceremoniously launched the National ID last Friday, it is as if he was just launching his own self. Binisay-on ta nalang ni, sir. Wala pa g’yud intawon ID, sir. Giuna lang ka og hatag, sir, aron dili ka maglangas. Pero wala pa g’yud, sir. Mortal sin pa, sir.

Duterte blew his top at the start of the lockdowns last year when, puzzled by the slow pace of aid rollout that was supposed to be facilitated by the ease with which to identify beneficiaries on account of their having National IDs, the president was instead told there was yet no National ID to speak of. If you know Duterte, you would not be far off the mark if you imagine hearing claps of thunder.

Duterte was so mad that before long, two young people, a boy and a girl, came knocking and proceeded to take me and the wife through to what we were told was the initial phase of enrolling ourselves for our own individual National IDs. At the end of that process, we were told to go to a particular place at a particular date and time for what was supposed to be the second phase of the National ID process.

But that was last year, 2020. My schedule for the second phase of the process, where my biometrics were supposed to be taken along with the presentation of one or two documents, was December 30, 2020 between 4 to 5 p.m. My appointment slip read in part: "Congratulations, you have been pre-registered to the Philippine Identification System."

Well, congratulations, my ass. Shortly before my appointed date and time, I got a text that said the second phase of the National ID process had been postponed indefinitely and that I will just be informed of developments. It is now almost the end of March 2021 and I still have not been informed of any new developments, whether by text, email, or other means.

The only news I got about any movement re the National ID was that of Duterte getting his National ID not many weeks ago. I am not complaining and I am not consumed by envy. Duterte is president. He is entitled to certain privileges and perks. But I need to ask what happened to the process. Why is there no word on the second phase? Are we and Duterte being taken for a ride? He with his show window ID, we with our hijacked process?