PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. yesterday approved the SIM Card Registration Law, which is seen to curb text scams and text spams that have targeted many Filipinos.
Marcos signed the law, which requires SIM card or newer types of SIM (eSIM) users to present any official identification before they could use these.
The measure also aims to help law enforcement authorities “track perpetrators of crimes committed through phones”.
In signing the law, the president said the country will “finally achieve” something overdue, “an effective means of regulating the issuance of SIM cards to curb the spread of spam text messages and text scams.”
“We will soon be able to provide law enforcement agencies the tools needed to resolve crimes perpetrated through the use of these SIM cards, as well as providing a strong deterrence against the commission of wrongdoing,” he said in his speech.
He added that under the new law, existing prepaid SIM card users would also need to register “within a prescribed period.” Failure to do so, he said, will result in the automatic deactivation of the SIM’s services to the subscriber.
The House earlier said that all existing SIM subscribers are required to register with their respective public telecommunications entities (PTEs) within 180 days from the effectivity of the law. But the bill allows the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to extend the registration for a period not exceeding 120 days.
The President also assured the public that the SIM Card Registration Act puts a premium on the protection of confidentiality and data privacy rights of subscribers.
“Any information in the SIM Card Registration shall be treated as absolutely confidential unless access to these info has been granted by the written consent of the subscriber,” he said.
Under the law, PTEs — government or private — and direct sellers are mandated to require users to present valid IDs with a photo when acquiring SIMs.
Among the valid documents that may be presented for purposes of SIM registration include the following:
* Passport
* Philippine Identification
* Social Security Service ID
* Government Service Insurance System e-Card
* Driver’s license
* National Bureau of Investigation clearance
* Police clearance, Firearms’ License to Own and Possess ID,
* Professional Regulation Commission ID
* Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID
* Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ID
* Bureau of Internal Revenue ID
* Voter’s ID
* Senior citizen’s card
* Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card
* Person with Disabilities card
* Other government-issued ID with photo
Corporations, meanwhile, are required to present their certificate of registration as well as the duly-adopted resolution designating their duly-authorized representative, and special power of attorney for the registration of SIM of other juridical entities. (ABS-CBN News)
