DICT bares SIM Card registration rules, infractions

THE government on Wednesday warned that falsifying documents and sale of registered SIM cards are considered criminal offenses and punishable by fines or imprisonment under the newly enacted SIM Card Law.

The National Telecommunications Commission on Monday released the implementing rules for the law mandating the registration of all SIMs within 180 days starting Dec. 27.

Falsifying documents and (giving) wrong information during the registration are subject to fines by not lower than P100,000 or imprisonment of 6 months to 2 years, Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo told Teleradyo.

“Penalized po yun by law, kung magsisinungaling po, or if you’re going to provide false of fictitious information or magbibigay po kayo ng fictitious identities or fraudulent identification document, meron yan penalty,” she said.

Also prohibited under the new law are breach of confidentiality, selling of registered SIMs, negligence resulting in other offenses, spoofing to make it appear the message was sent from another number, and stealing registered SIMs.

Lamentillo said the registration period would be done online, which would allow overseas Filipinos to register their roaming SIMs.

Meanwhile, SIMs of minors should be registered under the names of their parents, she said.

SIM card holders seeking to register should present any of the following IDs with photos: passport, national ID, Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, police clearance, National Bureau of Investigation clearance, and Professional Regulations Commission.