MANILA – According to Malacañang, the decision of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to sign the bill on the mandatory registration of SIM cards would boost the government’s efforts against text and online scams.
Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil made this statement a day before Marcos is scheduled to sign the SIM Card Registration Act on Monday, October 10.
According to Garafil, the President decided to sign the bill due to the prevalence of text and online scams.
The SIM Card Registration Act seeks to promote accountability in using SIM cards and aid law enforcers in tracking perpetrators of crimes committed through phones, she added.
“President Marcos’ decision to approve the measure will significantly boost government initiatives against scams committed through text and online messages, which have become more prevalent this year,” she said.
Under the bill, all public telecommunications entities (PTE) or direct sellers shall require the SIM card owner to present a valid identification document with a photo.
Unless the subscriber approves access to his or her information, any information contained in the SIM card registration is confidential.
Foreign nationals in the country, including tourists, are also required to register their local SIM cards.
The law also requires telco firms to provide the full name and address contained in the SIM card registration upon a duly issued subpoena or order of a court.
Law enforcement agencies conducting investigations into alleged crimes committed via phones may also file a written request to telco companies requesting SIM card holder information.
The SIM Card Registration Act is the first piece of legislation to be signed by Marcos since he took office on June 30.
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