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 citizens 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.