Senator Grace Poe said on Monday, June 13 that she would refile the proposed Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act to combat the slew of text scams that prey on the need and vulnerability of the Filipino people.

‘’The hard times make many of our citizens easy victims to fake offers for employment and instant money gimmicks. The whole of government must rein in the intrepid scammers and put an end to their nefarious activities,’’ Poe said.

‘’A law on SIM card registration should be complemented by enforcement of existing laws and regulations to stop the scammers,’’ she stressed.

‘’The aim of the bill is unassailable. We trust that the 19th Congress will see its passage through,’’ she added.

The 19th Congress opens on July 25.

President Duterte had vetoed the proposed SIM Card Registration Act in the just-concluded 18th Congress.

Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar had said the provision ordering the mandatory registration of social media accounts prompted Duterte to veto the measure.

“The President has decided to veto the consolidated Senate Bill No. 2395/House Bill No. 5793, which seeks to mandate the registration of all SIM cards and social media accounts, with the purpose of deterring electronic communication-aided crimes,” he said.

While Duterte lauded the solons’ efforts in finding ways to address the increasing incidence of cybercrimes and offenses related to information and communications technology (ICT), he was “constrained to disagree with the inclusion of social media in the measure, without providing proper guidelines and definitions", Andanar said.