Manila says ID system not prelude to martial law (fwd)

[David Lesher / hated by RBOC's in 5 states]

Reuters sez:
Message-ID: <Rphilippines-cardUR8Au_7JF at clari.net>

  	  				 
	 MANILA, Jan 15 (Reuter) - Philippine President Fidel Ramos  
on Wednesday dismissed as baseless fears that his order creating 
a national identification system was a prelude to martial law. 

	 ``That is a wild opinion without any basis in fact,'' Ramos  
told his weekly news conference after Cardinal Jaime Sin, the 
outspoken Archbishop of Manila, accused him of being 
authoritarian. 

{We're talking, therefore it's no threat..}

{Sin said it's immoral}  

{Opposition said could be used to monitor political activities,
that it was reminiscent of Marcos.}

	 Officials have said a computerised ID system whereby cards  
issued to citizens by state pension funds would carry reference 
numbers assigned to them for life would make it easier for 
people to transact business with the government and minimise 
fraud. 
	 ``That's all there is to it ... (its) very simple,'' Ramos  
said. 
  	   	


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