PNP-ACG spokesperson, Lt. Michelle Sabino (PNA photo by Lloyd Caliwan)
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) Card Registration Act will not infringe on the privacy of subscribers and will only serve as an extra layer of protection against illegal activities perpetrated through the use of mobile phones.
“If you remember before, hindi pa uso ang mga (there is no) cellphones, we use landline right and there is always a public directory that is accessible to all so what's the difference? It's the same except that we do this over our mobile phones. So wala naman siguro tayo naging problema (I guess we don't have a problem) before when it comes to privacy," Lt. Michelle Sabino, spokesperson of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) said in a presser in Camp Crame Wednesday.
She added that the benefits of the law, especially in terms of unmasking perpetrators of illegal activities such as fraud, text scams, terrorism, obscene messages, and disinformation, would outweigh the concerns of those who oppose its implementation.
Sabino said the law will also fast-track their efforts in solving cybercrimes.
“We can now immediately identify the perpetrator and then we can go about the process of investigating so we can gather more pieces of evidence. It will be faster for us because with the current set-up, we already know the number but it's not enough, we need to identify the person behind it,” Sabino explained.
In February, the Senate and the House of Representatives ratified the bicameral conference committee report on contrasting provisions of the measure.
Under the measure, Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs) must require the registration of SIM cards for collection in a centralized database as a pre-requisite to the sale and activation of SIM cards.
Direct sellers will require the end-user to present their valid identification with a photo along with an accomplished control-numbered registration form provided by the respective PTE.
A person who wants to purchase a SIM card but cannot personally register for a valid reason may opt to authorize another person to buy given that there is a Special Power of Attorney and proper identification of the principal buyer and representative.
It also penalizes those who sign up for social media accounts using fictitious identities with a fine of PHP200,000 and a jail term of up to six years or both. (PNA)
