A bill that will mandate mobile phone users to register their sim cards to avoid cases of online and electronic communication fraud now only awaits the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte as senators on Wednesday, February 2, ratified it for third and final reading.
The proposed law also have provision inclined on unmasking online trolls and other crimes aided by SIM cards.
Under Senate Bill No. 2395, social media users needs to use a real name and phone number upon account creation to avoid fraud and other related crimes which are done by through the use of sim cards like text scams, trolling, disinformation, bank fraud, libel, anonymous online defamation, hate speech and online identity theft.
Furthermore, if the bill becomes an official law, telecommunication firms shall register sim cards as a prerequisite before they sell it to the public.
However, for existing active sim cards, users should register their numbers within 180 days from the effectivity of the proposed law, failure to do so will force telco companies to deactivate or retired their sim cards.
Under the bill, anyone who would be caught using fake identities in registration of their sim cards or social media account will be subjected for imprisonment between 6 months up to 12 years, a fine of P200,000 or both, if the proposed law would be signed by the president.
Meanwhile, for Palawan, as elections come near, various troll supporters continue to spread online and even in local media news outlets.
Local names of politicians are constantly being used by text scammers ordering bulk order of food online, recent victim include City Mayor Lucilo Bayron who’s name was used by someone who introduced his self as an ally of the said mayor to order an P8,000 worth of lechon on October 2021.