SIM card registration enactment lauded

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Leaders and members of the House of Representatives have hailed the legislation of the SIM card registration measure.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the SIM Card Registration Act on Monday, such action manifests the administration’s intent to protect Filipinos from cybercrimes.

The representative of the 1st District of Leyte thanked his cousin Marcos Jr. for the early enactment of the measure, which the House and Senate ratified on September 28. The SIM Card Registration Act mandates the listing or enrollment of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to a user. It is the first bill signed into law by Marcos Jr. since he assumed office last June 30.

“On behalf of members of the House of Representatives, we would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. for signing the SIM Registration Act, the very first bill signed into law by this administration,” Romualdez said.

“This measure was approved in both the House and in the Senate, and President Marcos’ signature on this very important piece of legislation only signifies his administration’s recognition of the need to put in place measures that will protect Filipino consumers against cybercriminals and online scammers,” he added.

Majority Floor Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe also thanked Marcos Jr., saying the law is a big step against fraudsters.

“This law will surely provide Filipinos a greater sense of security against scammers, unwanted phone solicitations, and other criminal activities, including terrorism. This law will also help the government ensure responsible use of the mobile phone technology,” Dalipe said.

Valenzuela City 1st District Rep. Rex Gatchalian issued the same sentiments, noting that it is a huge help in tracking down phishing or a type of scam that involves the sending of a deceptive text message to mobile phone users with the end-goal of extracting sensitive information or deploying malicious software which could disadvantage or put users in danger.

“We thank President Marcos for immediately signing this landmark law. With the law in place, the necessary tool is now in place to eradicate, once and for all, the illicit activities involving the use of SIM, like text scams, phishing, and data breaches that had victimized countless Filipinos in the past” Gatchalian said.

Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte, for his part, said the measure bolsters law enforcement capabilities, as hearings showed that authorities appear to be helpless in catching those behind smishing which is also a scam that involves supposed text messages from reputable companies that aims to trick users into sharing their personal details like passwords, bank account numbers, etc.

“But the apparent helplessness of our authorities in stopping cyber criminals from preying on the owners of over a hundred million cellphones through smishing and other scams has become the dark side of the digital transformation in our country where there are more mobile phones than people,” Villafuerte said.

“Hence, it is high time that we secure our mobile SIMs from the proliferation of phone-based frauds through the mandatory registration of both prepaid and postpaid subscribers and their celfone numbers,” he added.

READ: Salceda tells telcos, NBI: Instead of long hotlines for phishing complaints, why not use’ 69′?

The law, which will be soon named as Republic Act No. 11934, requires users of SIM cards to provide public telecommunications entities (PTEs) with valid documents, including a complete registration form, photos, and official identification cards to ascertain their identity.

If the customer fails to present any IDs, a National Bureau of Investigation clearance, police clearance, or a Philippine Statistics Authority-certified birth certificate with an ID picture would be accepted instead.

READ: House finally approves refiled SIM card registration bill

The current law is different from the version filed during the 18th Congress, which former president Rodrigo Duterte eventually vetoed. In the version of the 18th Congress, a provision stated that social media accounts must also be registered – aside from the SIM card – to prevent online trolling.

Duterte vetoed the bill, noting that the provision on social media account registration needs more study.

READ: SIM card registration bill refiled in House sans social media provisions 

Also on Monday, telecommunication companies welcomed the enactment of the SIM Card Registration Act. However, they emphasized that a reliable and “fool-proof” National ID System is needed to ensure the successful implementation of the SIM card registration law.

KGA/abc