Personnel of the Cotabato City police office screen motorists at a checkpoint into the city from Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao. JOHN UNSON, file

Muslim-only ID is 'discriminatory': AFP

• Jul 16, 2017
• Moro Lawrence, Luwaran
• HITS: 1522

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through its spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Jr said on Monday, July 10 that the AFP agrees with the observation that the Muslim-only ID system in place in a town in Tarlac province — as bared by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week — is indeed discriminatory, GMA News said in its report on July 11.

He said that authorities should not look at an individual’s sector when asking for proof of identification.

“We are relaying our comments that the Muslim-only ID system in the town of Paniqui is discriminatory if you ask an ID from a particular sector of society”, Gen. Padilla said.

“That is why, when we start checking identification of individuals, it should not be aimed at certain sectors of our society but it must be applicable to everyone,” GMA News quoting Gen Padilla saying during the Mindanao Hour in Malacañang.

The comment was made after HRW said that the local government in Paniqui, Tarlac reported that an ID system for Muslims had been implemented to help authorities identify terrorists in Central Luzon.

Gen. Padilla said that “not all our brother Muslims are part of the rebellion, only a handful of them. As we have said at the start of conflict that the fight is not between religions. This is not a religious war.

Instead, Padilla proposed the implementation of a national ID system being pushed by many sectors including lawmakers. (Source: GMA News)

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