MANILA – A former commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) has urged a thorough investigation on the alleged “failure” of the government’s contract on the national ID.

In a statement, lawyer Nicasio A. Conti, who is currently the CEO of private intelligence firm Capstone-Intel Corp, said the failure of government to push through with the project “not only undermines the government’s modernization efforts but also erodes public trust.”

BSP terminates contract with national ID supplier

Conti described the national ID system as a “crucial infrastructure project.”

"The delays and failures related to this contract may suggest issues beyond mere administrative inefficiency," Conti said.

"Contracts, especially those impacting millions of Filipinos, must be awarded and managed with stringent oversight to prevent any form of misconduct. This incident should prompt all government agencies to strengthen their safeguards and accountability measures,” he added.

He also stressed that there should be accountability among those involved.

“The investigation should assess potential issues within the contract and ensure that public resources are managed effectively,” the statement read.  

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last month terminated its contract with AllCard Inc., the supplier of the national ID.

National ID supplier challenges contract termination

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said the Monetary Board’s decision was “due to the supplier's non-compliance with the contract.”

Last week though, AllCard Inc. challenged the government’s decision, saying it was in “full compliance with all contractual obligations” and that the termination of its contract may have been based on “ inaccurate or incomplete information, given that there has been no breach of contract.”

The company added that it has filed a motion for reconsideration.