Kilusang Mayo Uno vs Director General NEDA Digest

F1: Kilusang Mayo Uno v. Director-General, National Economic Development Facts: President Arroyo issued Executive Order 450 which requires all government agencies and controlled corporations to have a uniform identification card; the director-general of the national economic development authority was tasked to implement this order. The information required to be in the said identification card would be: name, home address, sex, picture, signature, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, names of parents, height, weight, two index fingers and two thumb marks, any prominent distinguishing features like moles and others, tax identification number (TIN). The petitioners argued that the said executive order usurped legislative functions and violates the right of privacy. Petitioners alleged that EO 450 is contrary to law because it violated the principle handed down by the Court in Ople v Torres and RA 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997. The order according to the petitioners was also going to use funds that are not appropriated by the Congress, it was also issued without a public hearing. The order was also violating the constitutional provision of equal protection of the laws because it discriminates and penalizes those who do not have an id. The petitioners also argue that the order violates the right to privacy by allowing for the access of the personal data of the owner without his or her consent. Issue: Whether or not EO 450 usurped legislative functions and violated the citizen’s right to privacy. Held: The Supreme Court ruled that the petition had no merit. The said order only applies to government agencies who are already issuing identification cards even before the said order was implemented. The purposes of the order were to: reduce costs, achieve efficiency and reliability, convenience to the people served by the government entities and insure compatibility. Section 17 Article VII of the Constitution also provides for the President to have control to all executive departments, bureaus and offices. This constitutional power of the President is self-executing and does not need implementing legislation. This power of course is limited to executive branch of the government and does not extend to other branches or independent constitutional commissions. EO 450 does not violate the right to privacy since no citizen particularly government employee have complained upon the showing of information on their identification cards, even the petitioners have not made any complaint about their own identification cards. EO 450 also issues identification cards that only have 14 data about the owner much less than what is issued upon Supreme Court employees.