Poe to gov’t: Consult stakeholders on SIM Registration Act IRR

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Sunday urged the government to first conduct consultations with stakeholders before drafting the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Subscriber Identity (SIM) Registration Act.

“We await an IRR that will embody the spirit of the law to provide the people a defense in fighting text scams and misinformation,” Poe said in a statement.

“The rules will get the ball rolling on our aim to provide a secure and safe mobile phone use in the country while protecting the right to privacy,” she added.

Poe made the call following a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) that showed a strong approval for SIM registration (60 percent of 1,500 adult respondents).

Poe, who was also a sponsor of the said act, said the IRR is necessary to assure the public that Republic Act 11934 or the SIM module registration act will be facilitated “efficiently and securely.”

“Coming up with the IRR not only signals the urgency to protect the people from scams and misinformation. It also conveys that registration will be facilitated efficiently and securely,” Poe said.

She added that the IRR should provide clarity over the registration requirements, as well as the processes, so that the public will have enough time and information to comply.

The IRR must also emphasize the legal measures that will create safeguards against security threats and data breaches, including remedies in the event of complaints, Poe added.

The government currently has less than 60 days to come up with the IRR for the SIM Registration Act after it passed into law on Oct. 28, 2022.

The landmark legislation requires all mobile users to register their SIM as a prerequisite for activation.

The registration of SIMs may be done electronically through a platform or website to be provided by the telcos, while government agencies will facilitate the registration in remote areas with limited access to the internet or telco providers.

SIM registration will be free.

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/MUF