Bayan Muna party-list holds rally vs SIM card registration bill
THE PROPOSED SIM Card Registration Act should not become law because it could violate people’s privacy and human rights, Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand R. Gaite warned at a rally on Monday in front of the Department of Information and Communications office.
“It looks simple, the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card registration. But in today’s situation where the anti-terror law is enforced, where laws can be used to suppress the rights of people, this law can also be used, like in other countries, to monitor and surveil people who are against the rotten policies of their own governments,” he said in Filipino.
“They will use this in the context of the anti-terror campaign.”
The SIM Card Registration Act, which was ratified by Congress on Feb. 2 and is now awaiting the President’s signature, seeks to help law enforcement agencies track down cybercriminals who use mobile phones to commit fraud and other illegal activities.
Under the bill, new and existing SIM card holders must register through their service provider or direct seller. Issued SIM cards that remain unregistered within a specified period will be deactivated.
Once the law is enacted, social media providers and telecommunication companies will be required to release information in response to a court order or to search for a specific mobile number that was used in a crime.
The Anti-terrorism Act or Republic Act 11479 allows a person who is suspected to be involved in terrorist acts to be arrested without a warrant and held for up to 24 days. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan
