The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said on Friday, April 3, that it is offering its Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) digital certificates to the prosecutors and officers of the Department of Justice – National Prosecution Service (DOJ-NPS).
This is in response to DOJ’s issuance of general rules and procedures for the conduct of electronic and online inquest proceeding (e-inquest) in the National Capital Region (NCR) during the whole duration of the public health emergency.
“Digital certificates will give authenticity, integrity, and reliability to the use of digital signatures in e-documents in official proceedings,” the DICT said.
In a letter addressed to Prosecutor General Benedicto A. Malcontento dated March 30, 2020, DICT secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said the agency is supporting the NPS in its initiative to use ICT to continue the prosecutorial processes during the Covid-19 crisis.
Honasan said the use of electronic and online platforms for government processes is timely and essential amid the Covid-19 situation in the country.
Pursuant to Executive Order (EO) No. 810 series of 2009, DICT operates the Root Certification Authority (RootCA) and Government Certification Authority (GovCA) for the processing and issuance of digital signature certificates for e-government services to ensure confidentiality, authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation of electronic transactions in the government.
The agency also released Department Circular 06, which provides for the guidelines on alternative means of applying and issuance of PNPKI digital certificates for external clients from various government agencies, private entities and the general public during the declared state of public health emergency.
