SETTING up an online death verification system in the country will facilitate early detection and prevention of identity theft of deceased persons,
Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said on Wednesday.
“In many cases investigated by the Senate, it was shown that the names of the deceased were used for fraudulent payment claims, cheating in elections through ghost voters, and other deceptive means. It’s time to solve this,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino.
Estrada is set to file a bill proposing the establishment of the Philippine Death Check (PDC) Register, a centralized electronic database containing mortality data registered with the Local Civil Registrar (LCR), to be managed by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Under the proposed “Online Death Verification System Act,” once the death of a person is registered with the LCR, the information shall be immediately uploaded with the PDC Register Electronic System.
The PSA shall ensure the security and integrity of the PDC by safeguarding its data from breaches and other modes of tampering for the purpose of committing fraud.
Estrada noted that criminals and syndicates have been exploiting the lack of immediate access to death data in carrying out their fraudulent activities and corrupt practices.
