Hse passes SIM card reg bill anew on final reading
By Nidz Godino
“Crimes are not just perpetuated by using SIM card…what we would like to concentrate on is crimes involving SIM cards…as to the question of crime rate of those countries, it would not reflect on law’s effectiveness,” Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco, chairman of House information and communications technology panel and principal sponsor of the measure said.
House of Representatives on third and final reading approved bill seeking to mandate registration of mobile subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.
The House approval came amid proliferation of spam text messages and offers of shady transactions.
House Bill No. 14, approved with 250 yes votes, six no votes and one abstention, orders public telecommunications entities (PTE) or direct sellers to require end user of SIM card to present valid ID with photo to ascertain latter’s identity.
The bill said PTE or any direct seller should require end-user to accomplish and sign control-numbered registration form.
Such registered information covers mobile phone number and other personal information of subscriber such as full name, date of birth, gender, and address.
Tiangco earlier said mandatory SIM registration was a way to prevent people from falling prey to scammers.
Let us look at our daily experience. We get more phishing and smishing text messages than those from people we know,” “he stressed.
Tingog party-list Representative Jude Acidre, co-author, said bill if enacted into law would protect vulnerable people from being ripped off of their hard earned money, which also causes anxiety, as well as prevent cybercrime and fake news.
Kabataan party-list representative Raoul Manuel said bill would result in more data breaches, if not identity theft.
“If we are proposing a law, we should be certain that this measure will be effective… SIM cards can be cloned using varying devices,” Manuel said.
Tiangco said bill had confidentiality clause and was not the be all and end all in crime fighting.
“The confidentiality clause takes effect from point of sale of SIM card and the bill bans execution of waiver of confidentiality on the part of the public telecommunication entity or the consumer,” Tiangco concludeid.
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