Sandro Marcos, Romualdez push for SIM card registration to curb text scams

 

Presumptive Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and presidential son and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, and two other solons have jointly filed a bill seeking to require the registration of all postpaid and prepaid mobile phone subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.

The two, along with Tingog party-list Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre expressed their belief that the registration of SIM cards will help eradicate criminal activities, particularly scams.

“Having an unregulated SIM card market has also given way to several mobile phone scams. The cases range from simple text messages asking users to send cellular loads, to more sophisticated voice phishing methods and marketing spams that are used to gain unauthorized access to sensitive personal information of unsuspecting mobile phone users,” the authors said in the explanatory note of House Bill 14.

While telecommunication companies have blocked a number of SIM cards, the authors said scammers could easily replace them because of the availability of prepaid mobile phone subscriptions.

“Furthermore, due to the lack of SIM card registration, it becomes nearly impossible to trace the persons behind the text scams and hold them accountable for fraud, breach of data privacy, or other punishable offenses that they committed using an unknown mobile number,” the measure read.

Under the measure, all public telecommunications entities (PTE) or authorized sellers shall require an end-user to accomplish and sign a form indicating the subscriber’s name, date of birth, gender, his address as appearing on his/her valid identification card.

Users of SIM cards sold or issued prior to the effectivity of the proposed SIM Card Registration Act will also be required to register.

If the violator is a PTE, the president or officer responsible will be meted with a fine of up to P300,000 for the first offense, up to P500,000 for the second offense, and up to P1 million for the third and any succeeding violation.

If the violator is an authorized seller, his operation shall be suspended and a fine of P5,000 to P50,000 shall be imposed.

If the offender is an officer or employee of an implementing agency, he shall be dismissed from the service and fined, without prejudice to the filing of appropriate criminal, civil and administrative charges.