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Palace: SIM card registration may violate right to privacy


(Updated 2:50 p.m.) Malacañang on Tuesday said there is a need to carefully study the proposed registration of prepaid subscriber identity module (SIM) cards as it may violate a person's right to privacy.

"The parameters of the current proposal to register prepaid SIM cards will have to be studied given that there may be implications on the constitutional right to privacy," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a text message to reporters.

She issued the statement after Senators Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and Teofisto Guingona III resurrected the proposal following Friday's bombing incident in Cagayan de Oro City that killed eight people and injured dozens of others.

Investigators said the explosive device used in the incident was detonated through a mobile phone.

Sotto said the registration of these plastic cards used in cellphones would enable authorities to easily track those who detonate explosive devices through mobile phones.

Former Senator Richard Gordon in 2007 had also proposed the registration of personal information of buyers of SIM cards, whether prepaid or postpaid.

Constitutional issues?

At a separate briefing Tuesday, Valte said the President raised possible constitutional issues the last time the proposal was discussed.
 
"The security or, under the general welfare clause, that you have to, of course, protect the citizenry vis-à-vis the constitutional right to privacy. Kasi iba iyong voluntary na ibinibigay mo iyong information mo to a private entity, iba iyong nagkakaroon ng compulsion sa ilalim ng batas na ibigay mo iyong personal information mo," she said.
 
"In other countries, especially in the United States, that was done after 9/11," Valte added.
 
But in the country's case, she said they need to study how it will be managed.
 
"Because in some jurisdictions, hindi po iyong government agency iyong may hawak ‘nung information. For example, here in the Philippines, kapag postpaid subscriber ka, iyong telco iyong may hawak ‘nung information mo and there is a privacy policy that must be followed," she said.
 
Valte likewise brought up the case of the prepaid subscribers, whose accounts are not registered with the telco.
 
"One of the issues that should be looked into would be, if you buy a prepaid SIM card, what do you use to register? Will the telco have the ability to tell if you are submitting the correct information?" she said.
 
"There are some details that need to be looked into; for example, what is required to be submitted," she added. — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK/RSJ/TJD, GMA News
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