Palace upholds SIM card registration measures

After some initial fencesitting due to privacy concerns, Malacañang on Tuesday took a firm stand in favor of proposals to register prepaid subscriber identity module (SIM) cards in the country.

 

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said at a press briefing that the National Telecommunications Commissions (NTC) deems it "preferable" to enact a law on SIM card registration.

 

"The executive branch has manifested its support to proposed bills that are now being discussed in Congress," the Palace official told reporters.

 

He nevertheless acknowledged the fact that previous NTC circulars on SIM card registration had been stopped by courts.

 

During a Senate hearing earlier in the day, anti-crime crusador Teresita Ang See called for the passage of a law to require prepaid SIM registration to enable authorities to easily track criminals. 

 

Last year, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace still needs to study such proposals carefully, lest they violate citizens' constitutional right to privacy.

 

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima however earlier said that she sees no legal nor constitutional issues with proposals to require the registration of prepaid SIM cards.

 

Bills on SIM card registration are being considered at the House of Representatives. Some senators have likewise already expressed support for these measures, in the wake of a bombing incident in Cagayan de Oro last year which killed eight people. — TJD, GMA News