Globe urges gov’t to have national ID system as SIM Registration Law gets signed

Globe has released a statement after Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Card Registration Law, has officially been signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on Monday.

Through its general counsel Froilan Castelo, the telco provider expressed support toward the passing of the measure.

Globe was among the organizations that collaborated with the government when it comes to the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

When the law was submitted as a bill, the intent was to provide stronger regulation and enforcement against cybercriminals, as well as to contain mobile phone fraud and other SIM card-related criminal activities.

One of the aspects Globe emphasized in its statement is the full rollout of a national ID system that shall complement the law in terms of verifying the identity of a person who registers their SIM number.

Per Castelo, aligning with the best global practices in implementing the law — including a verifiable and fool-proof identification system — will be key for the successful carrying out of the law the statement added. This is as it is easy to falsify one’s identity when registering a SIM card.

Fortunately, looks like those steps are going to be taken seriously. According to a report, individuals will have to fill out a form and present a valid government ID with photo upon registering the prepaid SIM card. Otherwise, it would be deactivated.

The law also states that an individual has up to 180 days to register the SIM, and can extend for 120 days after a written request addressed to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).