A law on SIM card registration appeared to be on the brink of realization as the Senate approved on second reading on Monday, Dec. 13, a bill providing for that purpose. This comes after the House of Representatives passed last Dec. 6 on third and final reading its version of the bill.
While the title of House Bill 5793 is pretty straightforward – “Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act” – its counterpart in the upper chamber, Senate Bill 2395, has a different official name – “An Act to Eradicate Mobile Phone-Aided Terrorism and Criminal Activities”.
As it has already passed second reading – the most crucial stage of the legislative process – SB 2395 is expected to sail easily in the third and final reading before being signed into law after its referral to the House for concurrence.
Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, which introduced amendments to the proposed registration, cited Sen. Franklin Drilon “for broadening the effectivity of this bill, to be able to cover the latest technology, the different ways by which we communicate and use technology.”
Poe added: “As you know, the government’s always playing catch up. But it’s true that we don’t just deal with cell phones here. A lot of communication is also done online.”
For its part, local operator Smart Communications said it supports the passage of the measure, adding it will boost e-commerce and fintech services in the country.
“It will boost e-commerce and fintech adoption and growth, in the sense that the process of SIM registration already hurdles the know-your-customer step required when signing up for fintech apps like PayMaya and other digital services. The mobile number is now associated with a subscriber,” said Roy Ibay, Smart vice president for regulatory affairs.
Ibay, who also serves as vice president and director of the Philippine Chamber of Telecom Operators (PCTO), said the bill should also provide safeguards that will to avoid disruption of service for prepaid subscribers by giving them enough time to register their SIMs and ensuring that adoption or use of the national ID is already in place.
“We hope that the subscribers will be given at least a year to prepare and register their SIMs,” he said.
Civil society groups have, however, opposed the proposed legislation, saying the rationale behind the move is flawed and inconsistent with the experiences of many jurisdictions that have such a system.
