The proposed Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act is just a signature away from officially becoming a law.
And, according to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, it could very well be the first law enacted by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as far as laws crafted by the current 19th Congress is concerned. Marcos's tenure began at the start of the 19th Congress last June 30.
“This (SIM Registration Act) may be the first legislative measure to be signed into law by President Bongbong Marcos," Romualdez said Tuesday, Oct. 4 during a ceremonial signing of enrolled bills in Makati City.
"Once enacted into law, this will be our first line of defense against scammers, con artists, and criminal elements who use cellphone and other electronic communication gadgets for nefarious activities,” Romualdez said.
As such, the Leyte 1st district representative warned text scammers to cease their illegal activities, or else face prosecution to the full extent of the law.
Under the measure, end-users are required to register their SIMs with the concerned Public Telecommunication Entity (PTE) as a pre-requisite to activation. Existing SIM subscribers are also required to register with their respective PTEs within 180 days from the effectivity of the law.
Failure to register the SIM within the prescribed period will result in automatic deactivation and may only be reactivated after it is registered in compliance with the requirements of the law.
Certain acts such as failure or refusal to register a SIM, breach of confidentiality, using fictitious identities or fraudulent identification documents to register a SIM, spoofing a registered SIM, sale of stolen SIM, and sale or transfer of a registered SIM without complying with required registration, are penalized with varying amounts of fine or duration of imprisonment.
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The ceremonial singing of enrolled bills in the current 19th Congress was also attended by Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri. Aside from the proposed SIM Card Registration Act, the bill postponing the conduct of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to October 2023 was also signed by Romualdez and Zubiri during the event.
An enrolled bill is the printed final copy of the approved measure, as certified correct by House Secretary General Reginald "Reggie" Velasco and Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr.
These measures are then sent to Malacañang for the signature of the President.