We must outsmart scammers--Poe

Sen. Grace Poe said the passage of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration bill will deter ill-intentioned scammers and criminals from further hiding under the shadow of anonymity.

"This bill is a concrete step towards making our telecommunications and digital system a safer environment for all, as had been the hope of the 18th Congress when it previously passed the measure," said Poe in her sponsorship speech on Committee Report No. 5 of Senate Bill No. 1310 or the proposed SIM registration measure.

"We are not alone in wanting this kind of policy. Globally, the trend skews heavily in favor of SIM registration: A total of 157 countries have adopted laws that require mandatory SIM registration, including nations with the highest regard for data privacy rights," the chairperson of the Senate public services committee explained.

In the Philippines, Poe lamented that the situation has become worse, "Ang nag-improve lang ay ang creativity ng mga manloloko: Kung dati, template message lang ang laman ng mga text scams, ngayon kasama na pati ang buong pangalan."

Citing figures on scam texts, Poe said, "Nakakalula. We don't even need to look far to find a concrete example of all these scams: Buksan mo lang ang cellphone mo at mabibilang mo na kung ilang scam at spam messages ang na-re-receive mo kada araw."

Poe said that in the bill, the word "card" in "SIM card" has been dropped "to make way for newer types of SIM that are not contained in card form, such as eSIM."

"We are future-proofing a regulation that deals with technology to ensure that this law will adapt to the creative ways of fraudsters," Poe said.

The senator also underscored that the bill institutionalizes the necessary measures to guarantee data protection and privacy of citizens.

"Telcos are tasked to keep the submitted information safe and secure in a centralized database. To ensure the protection of our data and to keep the telcos in check, the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) is mandated to perform an annual audit of the telcos' compliance with the proper information security standards," Poe said.

"Heavy emphasis is placed on the absolute confidentiality of submitted information, and disclosure is only allowed upon a court order or subpoena, or with the consent of the subscriber, or in compliance with the Data Privacy Act. Any breach of confidentiality will be punished," Poe added.

Also retained in the bill is the provision stating that any doubt in the interpretation of any of its provisions and implementing rules and regulations shall be construed in a manner that accords the highest respect for privacy, and liberally interpreted in a manner that is mindful of the rights and interests of SIM subscribers.

Under the measure, registration is a prerequisite to the activation of a SIM, with the buyer required to submit a duly accomplished electronic registration form and present or upload a valid government ID or other similar forms of documents before the SIM can be activated.

Though the measure is "not the panacea to all the ills and evils proliferating in the telecommunications system," its passage is certainly a step forward in addressing rampant SIM-aided fraud in the country, Poe stressed.

Poe: Mga scammer, daigin

Ang pagsasabatas ng Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration bill ay makakahadlang sa masamang intensiyon ng mga scammer at kriminal na nagtatago ng kanilang pagkakakilanlan, ayon kay Sen. Grace Poe.

"Ang panukalang ito ay isang kongkretong hakbang para mas maging ligtas ang ating sistemang pang-telekomunikasyon, gaya ng inasahan natin sa pagpasa nito noong 18th Congress," ayon kay Poe sa kanyang sponsorship speech sa committee report sa panukalang SIM registration.

"Hindi tayo nag-iisa sa ganitong uri ng patakaran. Sa buong mundo, halos karamihan ay pabor sa SIM registration: May kabuuhang 157 bansa ang may batas na nag-oobliga sa SIM registration, kabilang na ang mga bansang may mataas na paggalang sa data privacy rights," paliwanag pa ng chairperson ng Senate public services committee.

Sa paglipana ng scam texts, ani Poe,"Nakakalula. Hindi na natin kailangang lumayo pa: Buksan mo lang ang cellphone mo at mabibilang mo na kung ilang scam at spam messages ang na-re-receive mo kada araw."

Sa ilalim ng panukala, sinabi ni Poe na ang salitang "card" sa "SIM card" ay tinanggal na para magbigay-daan sa bagong types ng SIM na hindi nakapaloob sa card form tulad ng eSIM.

"Sinisiguro nating 'future-proof' ang batas para di tayo mahuli sa teknolohiya ng mga scammer," saad ni Poe.

Ginagarantiyahan din ng nasabing panukla ang data protection at privacy ng mga mamamayan.

"Obligasyon ng mga telco na panatilihing ligtas ang isinusumiteng mga impormasyon sa central database. Para matiyak na mapoproteksyunan ang mga datos, ang DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) ay inaatasang magsagawa ng annual audit sa pagsunod ng telcos sa tamang information security standards," ayon kay Poe.

"Heavy emphasis is placed on the absolute confidentiality of submitted information, and disclosure is only allowed upon a court order or subpoena, or with the consent of the subscriber, or in compliance with the Data Privacy Act. Any breach of confidentiality will be punished," dagdag pa niya.

Napanatili rin sa panukala ang probisyon na nagsasaad na anumang pag-aalinlangan sa interpretasyon ng anumang probisyon at implementing rules and regulations ay dapat bigyang kahulugan nang naaayon sa pinakamataas na paggalang sa privacy at sa paraang iniingatan ang karapatan at interest ng SIM subscribers.

Sa ilalim ng panukukala, ang pagpaparehistro ay isang prerequisite sa activation ng isang SIM, kung saan ang bumili nito ay obligadong magsumite ng duly accomplished electronic registration form at magpakita o mag-upload ng government ID o ibang katulad na uri ng dokumento bago ma-activate ang SIM.