Lawmaker seeking Palace clarification on vetoed SIM Card Registration bill

MANILA, Philippines — House committee on information and communications technology chairman Tarlac Rep. Victor Yap is seeking clarification on President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to veto the proposed SIM Card Registration bill.

Yap made the remark Monday following Duterte’s move to veto the bill, specifically citing the provision on social media registration, which the President said may “give rise to a situation of dangerous state intrusion and surveillance threatening many constitutionally protected rights.”

Yap, who is one of the primary authors of the bill in the House, sought clarification from the Office of the President as to what provisions in the bill infringe upon the freedom of speech and the right to privacy of individuals.

“Freedom of speech is not an absolute right. The government has the power – nay even the duty to regulate it for the common good of its citizens. There is nothing in the bill that prohibits free speech nor invades the privacy of an individual,” Yap said in a statement.

According to Yap, the bill “does not per se impede the constitutionally guaranteed rights to Freedom of Speech and Privacy” since the measure only seeks to “establish accountability of persons in the digital and online space, no different to the same standard of accountability for any person’s action offline or in real life.”

“What the bill requires is simply the registration of SIM Card number in a person’s social media account and any person can still express their freedom of speech subject to the limitations of our existing laws.” Yap said.

Under the bill, social media account providers shall require a real name and phone number upon creating an account.

The SIM Card Registration bill also mandates all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) to register SIM cards as a prerequisite to their sale and activation.

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