Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 15)— President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed the measure seeking the mandatory registration of SIM cards of mobile phone users, Malacañang said on Friday.
In a statement, acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said Duterte did not agree with the provision of the proposed SIM Card Registration Act which includes social media platforms as part of the requirements.
The President also pushed for a “more thorough study” on the matter, according to Andanar.
“[H]e was constrained to disagree with the inclusion of social media in the measure, without providing proper guidelines and definitions thereto, as the same may give rise to a situation of dangerous state intrusion and surveillance threatening many constitutionally protected rights,” Andanar noted.
“The President similarly found that certain aspects of state intrusion, or the regulation thereof, have not been duly defined, discussed, or threshed out in the enrolled bill, with regard to social media registration,” he added.
Ratified by Congress in February, the consolidated Senate Bill No. 2395 and House Bill No. 5793 aims to mandate all public telecommunications entities to require the registration of SIM cards as a prerequisite to their sale and activation.
It also requires social media networks to get real names and phone numbers of users upon creation of their accounts.
While some groups and netizens welcomed the President’s veto, Senate President Vicente Sotto III himself was displeased of the decision and expressed his thoughts about it.
The proposed law aims to combat telecom fraud and eradicate phone-aided terrorism and criminal activities, officials have said.
“Tuloy ang mga bombings and blackmail and scams using prepaid sims,” the vice presidential candidate said in a tweet to emphasize his disapproval.
[Translation: Bombings and blackmail and scams using prepaid sims will continue.]
The Palace, meanwhile, urged Congress “not to lose heart” in passing a measure that would secure a safe online environment for Filipinos “provided that the same would stand judicial scrutiny.”
