(Eagle News)–The Philippine National Police expressed support for the passage of a measure requiring sim card registration.
In a statement, the PNP said such a law would help law enforcers identify unscrupulous individuals who use mobile phones to scam unsuspecting victims.
Security measures, it said, however, should be in place to safeguard the subscriber’s personal data.
The PNP, meanwhile, said it would continue to cooperate in the Senate Committee on Public Services continued investigation into text scam messages.
“Patuloy po kaming nananawagan sa ating mga kababayan na maging maingat sa mga pumapasok na mensahe sa kanila at huwag agad maniwala kahit oa may pangalan nila ang text message,” PNP officer-in-charge Jose Chiquito Malayo said.
“The moment na hingan kayo ng personal na detalye, lalong lalo na ang mga nanghihingi ng pera, huwag na huwag po kayo magbibigay,” he added.
The SIM Card Registration bill filed during the time of then-President Rodrigo Duterte requires telecommunication companies to register SIM cards at the point of sale and prior to activation.
Subscribers must register their SIM cards within 180 days from the effectivity of the law, with a possible extension of 120 days.
The bill was, however, not passed into law after it was vetoed by then-President Duterte citing privacy concerns.