Subscribers to face penalty for false information during SIM registration

The SIM Registration Act's implementing rules and regulations (IRR) is set to be released on December 12 in time for the law's effectivity on December 27, according to Maki Pulido’s “24 Oras” report on Tuesday.

The National Telecommunications Commissions (NTC) has drafted the IRR and has scheduled a public hearing on December 5.

Under the draft IRR, a SIM card user may register his number within six months, which may be extended for four more months. However, it will be automatically deactivated if the SIM card is not registered within the given period.

The NTC said there will be a penalty for those who will give false information during registration.

“Ang penalty po dito ay imprisonment ranging from six months to two years or a fine of not less than P100,000,” NTC deputy commissioner Jon Paulo Salvahan said.

There will also be an imprisonment of at least six years if the subscriber uses a stolen SIM or is not registered under the user’s name.

Based on Section 6 of the IRR, “the registration form shall be accomplished electronically through a secure platform or website to be provided by the PTEs to their respective subscribers.”

They must give the basic details including full name, date of birth, sex, present or official address, valid government-issued ID.

“PTEs shall include the information and data of existing postpaid subscribers in the SIM register to align with the registration requirement here under. To complete registration, however, such existing postpaid subscribers shall be required to confirm their information and data included in the SIM register, through the PTE’s registration platform or website,” it stated.

The NTC said the users may register as many SIM cards as long as they will provide the correct information and ID.

If the user is a foreign national, basic details must also be provided including full name, nationality, passport number, address in the Philippines, and type of document presented.

The NTC and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said they will put stalls in remote areas to help fellow Filipinos register.

They can also buy SIM in stores but it will be only activated if it is registered.

The NTC said the service providers will also be penalized if they compromise the personal information of the SIM users. They will be fined at least P4 million.

“Hindi po pwedeng ilabas ng mga PTEs yung information na nandoon sa kanila, kaya yung sa mga promos hindi nila magagamit iyon. They have corresponding penalties if they will fail to report the matter,” Salvahan said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) advised the public to be vigilant to avoid text scams.

The PNP data showed that from more than 7,000 cybercrime cases recorded from March to November 2021, the number has increased to over 12,000 cases this year.

“If people are vigilant, they would find out, all these types of scam, all these modus, pare-pareho din siya in a sense. Yung precautions will always be the same,” Police Colonel Michelle Sabino of PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group said.

The PNP earlier said the text scammers have become active before the implementation of the SIM registration law IRR on December 27.

“Sobrang dami niya, in a day sa tingin ko po or in a week, siguro po nasa halos 40 rin ang natatanggap ko. Hindi ko po siya pinapansin,” Jinky Agdales, SIM card user who received text scams, said.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA Integrated News