Metro Manila, Philippines – The questionable use of persons with disability (PWD) identification cards is more than twice the registered number of owners, according to the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), prompting the agency to seek legal assistance against unauthorized use.
The NCDA said around 8.5 million people use the ID while only 2.8 million PWDs are registered nationwide.
It said it sought legal assistance from the Department of Justice (DOJ), particularly with the concerns raised by restaurant owners.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Oct. 8, Chief State Counsel Dennis Chan called out the “alarming” disparity between registered PWDs and the number of unauthorized users.
“So merong mga [there are] around six million discrepancies there, and itong [these] six million unaccounted for results in serious economic losses not only to the business owners but to the government,” he said.
The DOJ said it drafted a legal opinion for the council stating that while businesses cannot impose prior verification of identification cards before people can avail of the benefits, they can do so afterwards.
“Prior verification of the validity of a PWD ID is not allowed under the law. You have to extend the benefit already upon presentation of the ID. However, the business establishment concerned is not prevented from subsequently validating the authenticity of the ID,” Chan said.
If an identification card turns out counterfeit, he said business establishments can sue the holder, in particular against falsification of a public document to estafa.
Chan said public officers issuing illegal IDs are liable for graft and corrupt practices.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Vida called on the public to be on alert against the fraudulent scheme.
He said for every ₱1,200 restaurant bill, the government could potentially lose ₱50 in tax while restaurant owners could lose ₱120 in income.
“Let’s start living honestly. Let’s have integrity in our lives. Dahil sa panloloko mo, may nabibigatan,” Vida said.
[Translation: Let’s start living honestly. Let’s have integrity in our lives. Because of your deceit, someone is bearing the burden.]
