President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday signed the SIM Card Registration Act, the first law enacted under his administration.
The ceremonial signing was held in Malacañang with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and other stakeholders as witnesses.
“I commend the legislators from the House and from the Senate for coming up with this timely and necessary law. It is the first legislative measure that successfully passed the approval of the bicameral panel of both houses in the 19th Congress,” the Chief Executive said.
“Truly, the legislation is going to be welcomed by many of our people especially now with reports of the commission of various crimes using mobile phones, including proliferation of text scams and spam. Indeed with the signing of this law, we set the important tone that it is our national policy to ensure that technology shall only be used to improve our people’s lives,” he added.
Republic Act 11394 mandates, among others, all public telecommunications entities or direct sellers to require the SIM card user to present a valid identification document with a photo.
It likewise directs telecommunication companies to disclose the registered full name and address of the subscriber upon a duly issued subpoena or order from a court.
The Palace earlier said that the enactment of the bill will “significantly boost government initiatives against scams committed through text and online messages, which have become more prevalent this year.”
The SIM Card Registration Act, Republic Act No. 11934, highlights the following:
- • Before selling SIM cards, telco companies and direct sellers are required to ask for a valid identification document.
- • Registering a SIM card with false or fictitious information, using fictitious identities, or carrying out fraudulent activities will be subject to appropriate penalties.
- • In case of a subpoena or court order, telcos must give out SIM card owners’ full names and addresses.
- • People with SIM cards already need to register with telcos within a certain time frame. SIM cards will be deactivated if you don’t.
- • Subscriber SIM cards must be kept on file by telecommunications companies. A list of authorized dealers and agents nationwide must be submitted quarterly to the National Telecommunications Commission by companies.
- • Telcos may be asked by law enforcement agencies to look up the owner of a SIM card when they investigate crimes committed through phones.
