PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday signed a bill that aims to regulate the release of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to curb the proliferation of text message scams in the country.
Marcos signed Republic Act No. (RA) 11934 also known as An Act Requiring the Registration of SIM Cards in a ceremony witnessed by Vice President Sara Duterte, lawmakers, and other government officials at Malacañan Palace.
RA 11934 is the first law signed under the Marcos administration. It was signed two days after Marcos marked his first 100 days in office on Oct. 8.
In a speech, Marcos thanked lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives for coming up with a “long overdue” measure seeking to resolve crimes using SIM cards.
“Truly, the legislation is going to be welcomed by many of our people especially now with reports of the commission of various crimes using mobile phones, including the proliferation of text scams and spam. Indeed with the signing of this law, we set the important tone that it is our national policy to ensure that technology shall only be used to improve our people’s lives,” Marcos said.
Marcos expressed hope that his administration would enact even more measures that would help ensure security, progress, and prosperity for the nation and people.
RA 11934, which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 14 and Senate Bill No. 1310, requires Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) or direct sellers to demand end users of SIM cards to present a valid identification document to validate their identities.
It also requires PTEs to submit a verified list of their authorized dealers and agents nationwide to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and an update list of the same every quarter of each year.
The law mandates that all PTEs are required to maintain a SIM Card Registry of their subscribers containing information required under the new law.
It also provides provisions on Confidentiality and Non-disclosure of Information which prohibit disclosure of any information of a subscriber, unless upon subpoena or lawful order from a competent court or written request from law enforcement agency in relation to an ongoing investigation, that a particular number requested is used in the commission of a crime.
RA 11934 mandates that the confidentiality clause in the SIM card registration will take effect at the point of sale and the registration of existing pre-paid SIM card phone subscribers.
Subscribers who fail to comply with the prescribed period of registration will face automatic deactivation of services to the specific existing prepared SIM card.
Also under the law, PTEs will be required to provide information obtained in the registration process only upon the issuance of a subpoena by a competent authority pursuant to an investigation based on a sworn complaint that a specific mobile number was or is being used in the commission of a crime or that it was used as a means to commit a malicious, fraudulent or unlawful act, and that the complainant is unable to ascertain the identity of the perpetrator.
RA 11934 also provides appropriate penalties failure to register a SIM, for breach of confidentiality, for breach of confidentiality due to negligence, for providing false or fictitious information or for using fictitious identities or fraudulent identification of documents to register a SIM, for spoofing a registered SIM, for sale of stolen SIM and for sale or transfer of a registered SIM without complying with required registration.
