Sunday, March 26, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Marcos inks SIM Law to curb online scams

Vito BarceloVince LopezMacon Ramos-AranetabyVito Barcelo,Vince Lopezand2 others
October 11, 2022, 1:10 am
in News, Top Stories
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday signed into law the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act, which aims to promote accountability in the use of mobile phones.

SIGNED INTO LAW. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs the Subscriber Indentity Module (SIM) Registration Act, the first law ever under his administration, at Malacanang on Monday. Witnessing is House Speaker Martin Romualdez (3rd right) and (from left) Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Tingog Party List Rep. Jude Acidre, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian. Ver Noveno

The SIM Registration Act seeks to end crimes using phones, including text and online scams by regulating the sale and the use of SIMs by mandating registration to end-users.

Under this measure, all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) or direct sellers will require the SIM card user to present a valid identification document with a photo.

Information in the SIM card registration will be treated as confidential unless the subscriber authorizes access to his information.

The measure also directs telecommunications companies to disclose the full name and address contained in the SIM card registration upon a duly issued subpoena or order of a court.

ADVERTISEMENT

Law enforcement agencies that investigate purported crimes committed through phones may also submit a written request to telecommunications providers to disclose the details of the SIM card holder.

The measure is the consolidation of the bills approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc., the country’s two biggest telcos, previously expressed support for SIM card registration and vowed to assist the government in deterring crimes committed electronically.

Mr. Marcos signed Republic Act No. (RA) 11934 also known as An Act Requiring the Registration of SIM Cards in a ceremony witnessed by Vice President Sara Duterte, lawmakers, and other government officials at Malacañang Palace.

RA 11934 is the first law signed under the Marcos administration. It was signed two days after Mr. Marcos marked his first 100 days in office on Oct. 8.

In a speech, Mr. Marcos thanked lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives for producing a “long overdue” measure seeking to resolve crimes using SIM cards.

He said the law would “set the important tone that it is our national policy to ensure that technology shall only be used to improve our people’s lives.”

RA 11934, which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 14 and Senate Bill No. 1310, requires Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) or direct sellers to demand end users of SIM cards to present a valid identification document to validate their identities.

It also requires PTEs to submit a verified list of their authorized dealers and agents nationwide to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and an updated list of the same every quarter of each year.

The law mandates that all PTEs are required to maintain a SIM Card Registry of their subscribers, containing the information required under the new law.

In an interview, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy said the time frame for registering SIM cards will still be decided after consultation between the NTC and PTEs.

“I think the prescribed time has still to be set by NTC and with the consultation with the telcos because they have to prepare the systems, they have to prepare their people in order to do this. But I think it’s easy, there are a lot of processes,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Uy said PTEs may consider asking their subscribers to validate their SIM cards online the same way it is done with electronic wallets to avoid long lines in their physical stores.

“The data is already there… especially the post-paid ones, so they just have to revalidate whether the one who’s using the phone is the same one that applied…The challenge would be the prepaid [SIMs]. They would still receive a notice that ‘Okay, Mr. Anonymous in view of the SIM Card Registration Bill please log in to this site and you will receive a verification text on your phone that you are indeed the owner of that phone,’” he said.

To ensure that those registering SIM cards are legitimate individuals, he said identification (ID) cards submitted, such as driver’s licenses and passports, may easily be validated by concerned agencies.

In a statement, House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez thanked the President for the immediate signing of the measure into law—the first bill enacted by the Marcos administration.

He said this signifies the Marcos administration’s recognition of the need to put in place measures that will protect Filipino consumers against cybercriminals and online scammers.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, expressed hope that the SIM Card Registration Law’s benefits will outweigh privacy issues and other concerns raised by subscribers.

In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. allayed fears of mobile phone users over the issue, saying the confidentiality of communications is duly protected under the country’s laws.

He added that the measure will strengthen law enforcers’ capability to go after criminals through the accurate identification of all mobile phone users.

“In our experience, during the onset of the pandemic in 2019 when people were prevented from going outside their homes, criminals shifted activities from traditional crimes to online crimes using telecommunication and cyberspace platforms,” the police chief said.

“They have devised different modus operandi to scam people of their hard-earned money. They hid behind the comfort of anonymity by using prepaid SIM cards to defraud unsuspecting victims,” he said.

Citing data from the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, Azurin said the police recorded a total of 4,254 SIM card-related offenses from January to September this year.

This excludes cases handled by other units of the PNP, other government institutions, reported incidents handled by different financial institutions, and cases unreported by victims.

Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur said with the new law, all mobile phone subscribers will now be better protected against the plethora of phone-based scams like smishing, in which scammers try to hoodwink unsuspecting mobile phone users into giving them personal information, like passwords and credit card numbers, which can then be used to commit identity theft.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda urged telecommunications companies to ensure that they will faithfully abide by the Data Privacy Act.

“Once the SIM Card Registration Act is in place, the telecommunications companies will be the largest owners of comprehensive identity information in the country except for the government itself. On the one hand, SIM Card Registration might deter some obvious crimes, like text spam and anonymous text messages or even threats,” Salceda said.

“On the other hand, the moment the databases fall into the hands of unscrupulous individuals, which could be a data privacy catastrophe.”

“So, before the IRR is issued, I hope some concerns about data privacy are first heard and addressed.”

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee, said they worked hard to pass the legislation anew as a crucial first step to fend off text scammers while guaranteeing utmost respect to fundamental human rights.

The law has instituted sufficient safeguards that accord primacy to consumers’ right to privacy to ensure safe and secure mobile use in the country, she said.

Poe sponsored the SIM Registration Act in the Senate.

Senator Joel Villanueva said the new law was a victory against text scammers who continue to take advantage of their fellowmen.

Telecommunications firms, meanwhile, urged the full rollout of the national identification system in response to the passage of the SIM Card Registration Act.

Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said SIM registration would be useless if users were allowed to submit any form of identification that can be easily falsified. DITO Telecommunity Corp.’s chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago also cited the need for the national ID system.

Tags: Ferdinand Marcos Jr.House of RepresentativesSenateSIM Card Registration Act
ADVERTISEMENT
Vito Barcelo

Vito Barcelo

Vince Lopez

Vince Lopez

Maricel Cruz

Maricel Cruz

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Show More Contributor

Related Posts

Guns, ammo at Teves biz

byCharles Dantes
March 26, 2023, 1:50 am
0
8
Teves gives way to DILG on contested post

Solon’s brod facing illegal firearms raps, but willing to cooperate with PNP Former Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves on...

Read more

PSA: Fishers, farmers, rural folk still poorest

byMaricel Cruz
March 26, 2023, 1:40 am
0
8
Fishers told: Swarm the seas

Fisherfolk, farmers, children, and persons living in rural areas remained the poorest sectors in terms of poverty incidence in 2021,...

Read more

Cost-cutting Accenture to cut 19,000 jobs worldwide

byAFP
March 26, 2023, 1:30 am
0
8
Consulting firm Accenture to cut 19,000 jobs in 18 months

Tech consultancy Accenture announced Thursday (Friday in Manila) it will be cutting around 19,000 jobs, or 2.5 percent of its...

Read more

Du30 tops Pahayag poll of possible Senate candidates in 2025 elections

byMaricel Cruz
March 26, 2023, 1:20 am
0
8
Rody wants more time with family after term

n By Maricel V. Cruz If senatorial elections were held today, former President Rodrigo Duterte would top the race if...

Read more

EDCA does not give US troops unlimited access in PH—DND

byManila Standard
March 26, 2023, 1:10 am
0
8
US to demonstrate rockets in Balikatan

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States have built-in protocols and does not allow...

Read more

PCG to boost oil spill containment with Korean help

byCharles Dantes
March 26, 2023, 1:00 am
0
8
PCG ships set for ‘water war’ in WPS

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vowed to heighten its oil spill containment activity in Oriental Mindoro province in collaboration with...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Guns, ammo at Teves biz
  • PSA: Fishers, farmers, rural folk still poorest
  • Cost-cutting Accenture to cut 19,000 jobs worldwide
  • New international shrine
  • Back to her roots
  • Du30 tops Pahayag poll of possible Senate candidates in 2025 elections
  • EDCA does not give US troops unlimited access in PH—DND
  • PCG to boost oil spill containment with Korean help

Advertisement

Latest News

Du30 tops Pahayag poll of possible Senate candidates in 2025 elections

byMaricel Cruz
March 26, 2023, 1:20 am
0
8
Rody wants more time with family after term

n By Maricel V. Cruz If senatorial elections were held today, former President Rodrigo Duterte would top the race if...

Read more

EDCA does not give US troops unlimited access in PH—DND

byManila Standard
March 26, 2023, 1:10 am
0
8
US to demonstrate rockets in Balikatan

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States have built-in protocols and does not allow...

Read more

PCG to boost oil spill containment with Korean help

byCharles Dantes
March 26, 2023, 1:00 am
0
8
PCG ships set for ‘water war’ in WPS

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vowed to heighten its oil spill containment activity in Oriental Mindoro province in collaboration with...

Read more

House, Senate seek agreement on Cha-cha

byJoel E. Zurbanoand1 others
March 26, 2023, 12:50 am
0
8
House leader graces school fair

Senator Robinhood Padilla on Saturday thanked Speaker Martin Romualdez and members of the House of Representatives for considering discussing a...

Read more

Men and birds go fishing

byRevoli Cortez
March 26, 2023, 12:48 am
0
8
Universal phenomenon

A group of fishermen and a flock of egrets enjoy a good catch of fish during low tide at Barangay...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App