Gatchalian seeks stiffer penalties against individuals selling registered SIMs

Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking stiffer penalties against individuals selling registered Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) that are eventually used in various cybercrime activities.

The senator made the call following a revelation made by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division Chief Jeremy Lotoc that registered SIMs are being sold openly on various social media platforms. Further, Lotoc revealed that his team has successfully registered with unnamed telecommunications operators' SIMs using the photograph of a smiling monkey, which indicates that unscrupulous individuals are able to skirt around the new legislation mandating SIM registration in order to verify identification.

Gatchalian said criminal groups have taken advantage of the fact that registered SIMs are being sold openly. It has accumulated tens of thousands of SIMs which were later used in various investment, cryptocurrency, and love scams. Such groups include those fronting as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), he surmised.

"The basic objective of the law is that if we register the SIM, there will be accountability meaning you can go after the registered person if needed because the anonymity is creating a lot of problems," Gatchalian emphasized.

However, the successful registration of a SIM using the photograph of an animal indicates registrants could potentially circumvent the process, requiring stiffer penalties to effectively deter fraudulent registration of SIM cards, Gatchalian said. "Maybe we need to increase the penalties and make them hefty," he said.

According to Gatchalian, telco providers should also put in place an effective post-validation mechanism to determine the veracity of a SIM user's details.

"There should be some form of post-validation if it's not automatic. 'Yung monkey example is bastusan talaga. There should be at least some form of validation so we can establish who is accountable for that post-validation. We cannot allow horses, monkeys, and gorillas to be registered. We have to do something. If we are not going to do something, this will happen over and over again," he stressed.

The implementation of Republic Act 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Act, the first law signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., took effect in December last year, mandating all SIM owners to register their mobile phone numbers. The mandatory SIM registration was eventually extended up to July 25 this year. Under the law, those who use fictitious identities or fraudulent documents to register a SIM card will be slapped with a prison sentence ranging from six months to two years and a fine of P100,000 to P300,000.

Gatchalian: Higpitan ang parusa kontra sa pegbebenta ng mga rehistradong SIM

Nais ni Senador Win Gatchalian ng mas mabigat na parusa laban sa mga indibidwal na nagbebenta ng mga rehistradong Subscriber Identity Modules (SIM) na kalaunan ay ginagamit sa iba't ibang aktibidad sa cybercrime.

Ang panawagan ng senador ay kasunod ng isiniwalat ni National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division Chief Jeremy Lotoc na lantaran na ibinebenta ang mga rehistradong SIM sa iba't ibang social media platforms. Bukod dito, ibinunyag din ni Lotoc na sinubukan nilang magparehistro sa pamamagitan ng hindi pinangalanang mga operator ng telecommunications ng SIM gamit ang larawan ng isang nakangiting unggoy at naging matagumpay ito. Nagpapahiwatig lamang na pwedeng malusutan ng mga kawatan ang bagong batas na nag-uutos sa pagpaparehistro ng SIM upang ma-verify ang pagkakakilanlan ng may-ari.

Sinabi ni Gatchalian na sinasamantala ng mga kriminal ang pagbebenta ng mga rehistradong SIM at nakaipon ang mga ito ng libu-libong SIM na kalaunan ay ginagamit sa iba't ibang investment, cryptocurrency, at love scam. Maaaring ganito rin, ani Gatchalian ang modus na ginagawa ng ilang Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

"Ang pangunahing layunin ng batas ay ang pagpaparehistro ng SIM upang magkaroon ng pananagutan ang may-ari nito at maaaring habulin ang rehistradong tao kung kinakailangan dahil ang kawalan ng pagkakakilanlan ay lumilikha ng maraming problema," sabi ni Gatchalian.

Gayunpaman, ang katotohanan na ang pagpaparehistro ng SIM gamit ang larawan ng isang hayop ay nagpapahiwatig na ang mga parusa na ibinigay ng batas ay hindi sapat upang hadlangan ang mapanlinlang na pagpaparehistro ng mga SIM card, sabi ni Gatchalian. "Siguro kailangan nating taasan ang mga parusa at gawin itong mas mabigat," aniya.

Ayon kay Gatchalian, ang mga telco provider ay dapat ding maglagay ng epektibong post-validation mechanism para matukoy ang katotohanan ng mga detalye ng isang SIM user.

"Dapat may post-validation kung hindi automatic. 'Yung monkey example ay bastusan talaga. Dapat mayroong pagpapatunay at matukoy natin kung sino ang mananagot para sa post-validation na iyon. May kailangan tayong gawin. Kung wala tayong gagawin, paulit-ulit itong mangyayari," diin niya.

Ang pagpapatupad ng Republic Act 11934 o ang Subscriber Identity Module Registration Act, ang unang batas na nilagdaan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., ay nagkabisa noong Disyembre ng nakaraang taon, na nag-uutos sa lahat ng may-ari ng SIM na irehistro ang kanilang mga mobile phone number. Ang mandatory registration ng SIM ay pinalawig pa hanggang Hulyo 25 ngayong taon. Sa ilalim ng batas, ang mga gumagamit ng kathang-isip na pagkakakilanlan o dokumentong gawa-gawa lamang para magparehistro ng SIM card ay papatawan ng sentensya ng pagkakakulong mula anim na buwan hanggang dalawang taon at multang P100,000 hanggang P300,000.