The Senate approved on second reading during its plenary session tonight a bill seeking to mandate the registration of subscriber identity modules (SIM) in the Philippines.
Sponsored by Senate public services committee chairperson Senator Grace Poe, Senate Bill (SB) 1310, or the proposed SIM Registration Act, aims to curb mobile phone and electronic communication-aided crimes—from texts scams to terrorist activities—by requiring mobile phone users to present valid government ID and documents in registering their SIMs.
Re-filed in the 19th Congress, the bill has been amended to expand its coverage from ordinary SIM cards to newer types of SIMs, such as eSIMS.
Under the Senate-approved bill, minors who bear SIMs shall register using their parents' or guardians' names.
Telecommunications company (Telcos), meanwhile, will be tasked to protect the submitted personal information in a secure database.
Their compliance with security standards shall be audited by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) annually.
Poe assured that any breach of confidentiality would be punished.
Poe said SB 1310 also included penalties for "spoofing," or the altering of the SIMs to make it appear that messages were sent by other registered users.
"The intent of this proposed measure is to strengthen our cybercrime laws," Poe said.
Poe acknowledged her colleagues for fine-tuning the bill.
She expressed hope that its passage would help deter crimes committed with the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices.
“It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s a step in the right direction,” she emphasized.