The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Negros Occidental has warned the public about the proliferation of fake national identification cards.

PSA chief statistical specialist John F. Campomanes said they have monitored the unauthorized reproduction of the digital national ID on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cards, which is now rampant in Bacolod City and the province of Negros Occidental.

“The printing of the digital national ID is strictly prohibited, and the documents resulting from it are considered invalid,” Campomanes said.

“Anyone caught reproducing or issuing national IDs without the authority of the Philippine Statistics Authority is punishable under the law,” he added.

The violation carries a penalty of three to six years of imprisonment and a fine of P1 million to P3 million under Republic Act No. 11055.

The use of a fake digital national ID or unauthorized possession without any reasonable cause by any person other than the one to whom it was issued also carries the same penalty: three to six years of imprisonment and a fine of P1 million to P3 million, Aira de la Banda, PhilSys Provincial Focal Person of the PSA, said.

The PSA is appealing to the public to report bogus national IDs to info@philsys.gov.ph, m.me/PSAPhilSysOfficial, or call 1388.

Campomanes called on Negrenses to help the PSA eliminate the unauthorized printing of the Digital National ID for their safety.

Individuals with knowledge or information on this illegal activity may also report it to the Provincial Statistical Office of Negros Occidental, he said.

He noted that the only acceptable formats of the national ID are the screenshot or downloaded file of the digital national ID, the national ID in paper form, and the physical national ID cards printed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and delivered by the national ID Service Delivery Service Provider. (PIA-6 Negros Occidental).