By Brian Jules Campued
With the widespread use of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards for fraud and scamming purposes, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is considering amendments to Republic Act (RA) No. 11934 or SIM Registration Law.
According to Gatchalian, despite the enactment of the measure, law enforcers continue to discover registered SIMs, cellphones, computers, and pocket Wi-Fi devices—especially among Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)—used in various forms of online fraud, such as love scams and cryptocurrency scams.
Signed into law in October 2022, RA 11934 aims to deter the use of SIM-related technology in various illegal or scamming activities.
Following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ban all POGOs, Gatchalian stressed the need to identify the perpetrators who unlawfully use registered SIMs in illegal activities to help legislators evaluate and strengthen relevant laws and policies.
“It is incumbent upon the government to safeguard unwary or unsuspecting Filipinos from any harm caused by fraudulent activities facilitated by cybercriminals, including POGO operations that serve as scam hubs to commit crimes,” the senator said.
Gatchalian also raised the possibility that “POGOs may still operate clandestinely” despite the total ban.
Among the changes the lawmaker eyes are the limiting the number of SIMs allowed to be registered per user as well as the regulation of short-message-service (SMS) marketing, promotional, political, or fundraising.
Gatchalian has already filed a Senate resolution seeking to investigate the use of SIMs in illegal POGO activities.