Passage of SIM Card Registration Bill pushed in Senate

In light of recent bomb threats received in schools and public places, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is seeking President Rodrigo Duterte to certify the bill for the passage of SIM Card Registration.

lostphone-simcard

This passage, according to Sen. Gatchalian, is a measure to avoid rumors on bomb threats which are spread through text messages. The bill will require a user to present a valid photo I.D. upon purchase of a SIM card. In addition, existing users of prepaid SIM cards must register within 180 days from the effectivity of the law or the SIM card will be deactivated.

“Mandatory registration of prepaid mobile numbers will discourage ill-willed pranksters and allow us to punish those who currently perpetrate security scares through text message with impunity,” said Gatchalian, a member of the Senate committee on national defense and security.

Private information of the users will be kept confidential and the bill will not violate the people’s right to privacy.

Are you in favor of pushing this bill to the Senate? It’s an added work for the consumers but should help lessen these kinds of pranks or threats delivered by random mobile numbers.

Update: Existing users need to register their prepaid SIMs within 180 days after the implementation of the law or it will be deactivated.

{Sources 1, 2}

Kevin Bruce Francisco

Kevin Bruce Francisco is the Senior Editor and Video Producer for YugaTech. He's a Digital Filmmaking graduate who's always either daydreaming of traveling or actually going places on his bike. Follow him on Twitter for more tech updates @kevincofrancis.

http://www.yugatech.com

17 Comments

el gato says:

8 years ago

@Sico Riceeatingmunster, brod, wala namang basagan ng trip… ;)
kung hindi ko rin malalaman yung phone numbers nina angel at megan, lalong ayoko sa mandatory sim registration.

at yung mga biktima ng spam election text ni gatchalian, class action suit tayo… ;)
libre text daw kapag nanalo tayo…
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jherwynne says:

8 years ago

Agree ako dito. Inconvenience dahil kailangan pa iregister? Eh di wag kang mag-celfone! Batugan ka. Magastos magpa-replace pag mawala? Kasalanan mo. Burara ka!
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Orange says:

8 years ago

I hope we have to register with a government agency, instead of the sim retailer. Imagine, leaving your ID information which usually includes your birthday, SSS/GSIS number, TIN and address (business or home). Good luck naman. Not that this is my problem since I’m a postpaid subscriber. Sana this passes along with the unified national ID. I think that is more important than registering a prepaid sim card.
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Bokutox says:

8 years ago

having this bill will also lead to more gastos e.g lost phone with prepaid sim will need to file an affidavit of lost para iwas liability if ever na gamitin sa masama…tama ba?
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el gato says:

8 years ago

if they want to stop pranksters, just deactivate offending sim card…or triangulate offending sim card location and arrest/convict the owner…

ang isang estado na masyadong maraming police power ay nakakatakot…

at ang dapat parusahan ay yung palaging tuwatawag kahit hindi kailangan (yes, i am referring to you globe call center agents offering promos) at yung spam texts (download and win thingy, download ringtone/ringbackthingy, you won $$$ from villar foundation, etc)

in short, against po ako sa mandatory sim card registration.
(ang advantage dito ay malalaman ko na rin sa wakas ang cellphone number nina angel locsin at megan young)
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Sico Riceeatingmunster says:

8 years ago

Just deactivate offending sim card? then the offender can just readily buy another sim card at any street vendor and continue this time with a new number, this law is to make it harder for offenders to buy a new sim card should their number be deactivated, and also know the name or at least the face of the offender that used their number to commit crimes.

“triangulate offending sim cards”, lol, movie? in the movies it only takes a quick phone call to know the exact location of the phone and the exact person using it, in REAL LIFE it needs 30 min to an hour of uninterrupted phone call to actually find the general area where the sim card was used, and even if they find the general area, said area would be a kilometer wide triangle, if the phone call was made in a highly populated city like Metro Manila with thousands calling at the same time in that area, finding the exact person making the call is damn impossible.

If you just don’t want to be inconvenienced should the law be implemented, then you should just say that.

(di mo parin malalaman number nina angel locsin at megan young kasi hindi naman gagawan ng directory ang mga sim cards, pag-nireport mo lang ang isang sim card number dyan mo malalaman kung sino may-ari ng sim card.

pak says:

8 years ago

tama lang to. iwas spam, prank, scam etc. sana nga noon pa nila ginawa to eh. para naman maging responsible yung mga users. pwede pakibilisan naman yung pag approve ng bill.
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anon says:

8 years ago

Gatchalian, the one who spammed text messages wants this bill…
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adaada says:

8 years ago

I received his Election message too! haha

Ren says:

8 years ago

I am in favor of this. Also, to “completely” stop annoying receiving text spams, ads and solicitations.
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Haroro says:

8 years ago

dapat lng nmn, sa ibang bansa ganyan nmn talaga pag bibili ng sim.
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Kamen Rider Necrom says:

8 years ago

Question lang, kung yung user mismo yung required magregister paano maeensure na yung niregister nya is siya nga? Pano kung ibang tao niregister nya tapos ginamit sa masama? Di ba dapat yung magrehistro eh yung ngbebenta ng sim? Kasi sa kanya iprepresent yung valid id?
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mongoload says:

8 years ago

tingin ko, dectivated muna lahat ng dinpa nagagamit na sim na nasa market na. then, kailangan mong pumunta sa telco o sa designated stores para ikaw ang mag papa activate with a valid ID. kaso, paano yung mga PWD? at mga prank messages lang naman ang nakikita kong reason dito at privacy naman ang susunod na issue nito.
Kevin Bruce Francisco says:

8 years ago

Registration is upon purchase of a new SIM. The 180-day timeframe is for existing prepaid users to register once the law is in effectivity.

ross says:

8 years ago

sana na nga maisa batas na yan
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A says:

8 years ago

“The bill will require a user to present a valid photo I.D. upon purchase of a SIM card which he or she must register within 180 days or the SIM card will be deactivated.”

So basically it will come pre activated, and good up to 180 days without registering it first? Nope, it should not be activated, not until the customers can complete the whole process. That’s the point of this registration, it needs to be done right. They can tie-in the activation with the store that sold them i.e buy a sim from Games and Gadget and the store should also activate it provided one has the needed info, e.g, i.d. Activation with the sim’s carrier via their business centers. And via electronic channels; sms, online etc.
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Kevin Bruce Francisco says:

8 years ago

We noticed that, too, and checked with other sources. New SIMs need to be registered with a valid ID upon purchase. Meanwhile, existing prepaid users will have 180 days to register theirs or it will be deactivated. This is after the law comes into effect. Thanks for clearing that out