PALACE Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro has called for amendments to the SIM Card Registration Act (Republic Act 11934), suggesting a system that requires in-person registration. Her comments follow Senator Risa Hontiveros’ concerns about a recent surge in text message scams.
Castro argued that a more stringent, in-person registration process, similar to obtaining a driver’s license or NBI clearance, is necessary to curb the misuse of SIM cards. She explained that the current system, which allows for proxy registration, makes it difficult to combat crimes facilitated through the sale and use of SIM cards by those who sell their identities.
While President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the SIM Registration Act into law in 2022 to combat SIM-related crimes, including text and online scams, the National Telecommunications Commission acknowledged in June 2024 that its implementation faces challenges and that the law is not a complete solution. Castro’s proposal aims to address those shortcomings by strengthening the registration process.
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