SIM Card Registration Act success relies on ‘fool-proof’ Nat’l ID System – telcos

Graphic representation of the national ID. INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Telecommunication firms on Monday called for the full rollout of the National ID System with the enactment of the SIM Card Registration Act.

Globe Telecom explained in a statement that a “verifiable and fool-proof identification system” is the “foundation” of the new SIM card registration law. It noted that if people can present falsified identification (ID) cards, the SIM Card Registration Act would become useless.

“For this reason, our position has been clear from the beginning, a National ID system must be in place to ensure the safe and successful implementation of this new law,” Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo said.

Globe also said that a National ID System that covers the majority of Filipinos would serve as a crucial source document that telcos could use to countercheck submitted IDs.

The company, however, expressed readiness to comply with SIM Card Registration Act, saying it welcomes a new regulatory environment to curb cyber threats and other crimes committed through mobile phones.

“We support the passage of this measure after previous roadblocks, and we are ready to comply. Aside from our advanced cybersecurity capabilities, we welcome a new regulatory environment that has stronger safeguards against cyber threats and other crimes carried out using mobile phones,” Castelo said.

Globe said it is working with the government in drafting the implementing rules and regulations for the rational enforcement of the SIM Card Registration Act, including the rollout of the retroactive registration of tens of millions of prepaid SIM users.

For its part, DITO Telecommunity said it has already included the structure for registration in its system, expressing support for the newly signed law.

But DITO emphasized that the challenge is in the validation of identity since the storage of biometrics data will be under the government for security, data privacy, and resource optimization.

“It will greatly help if both the National ID System and the passport system will be used as the validation of the identity of the subscriber,” DITO chief technology officer Ret. Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Santiago.

“Doing so will unburden the telcos of the need to establish another database to store biometrics data, which would be time-consuming and resource-heavy,” he added.

DITO said it is “one with the efforts” of the government, and it is standing by its commitment to be a strong partner in nation-building.

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