The Palace said on Tuesday, September 30, that it is supporting legislation that will require the registration of prepaid SIM cards.
?According to NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) Commissioner (Gamaliel) Cordova, it is preferable that a law be passed requiring SIM card registration. The Executive branch has manifested its support to proposed bills that are now being discussed in Congress,? Presidential Communications Operations Office secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during a press briefing in Malaca?ang.
There have been calls to require the registration of prepaid SIM cards to preempt and combat criminality.
Authorities have cited the bombing incident in Cagayan de Oro in 2013, wherein perpetrators built an improvised bomb out of mortar shell and used a cellphone with a prepaid SIM card as trigger. Eight were killed and 40 others were injured in the incident.
There is an existing NTC directive that requires the registration of prepaid SIM cards but this was challenged by telecommunications companies. The Supreme Court has favored the telecommunications companies and has issued a temporary restraining order against the directive.
