MANILA, Philippines — The former spokesman of the Department of Transportation and officer-in-charge of the Maritime Industry Authority called for an investigation of the National ID contract.

Nicasio Conti made the call following the termination of the contract between the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Allcard Inc., the supplier of national ID cards.

He said that the BSP's decision to end its agreement with Allcard Inc. due to significant delays and non-compliance with project requirements highlights the urgent need for scrutiny.

The national ID system is a crucial infrastructure project intended to streamline government services and provide a unified proof of identity for all Filipinos.

The failure to deliver this project on time and up to standard not only undermines the government's modernization efforts but also erodes public trust, Conti said.

"The delays and failures related to this contract may suggest issues beyond mere administrative inefficiency," Conti, now with the CLICK Partylist and CEO of Capstone-Intel Corp., said.

"I have personally experienced the impact of these delays, having only received a digital copy of my National ID while waiting for the printed version. This is unacceptable for a project of such national importance," he added.

The former commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission stressed the need for a thorough examination of the procurement process.

"We must ensure that those responsible for this failure are held accountable," 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."