Poe bristles over SIM Law’s ineffectiveness against scams
The PAOCC previously suggested suspending the implementation of the SIM Registration Act to give telcos time to manually verify SIM registrants
Daily TribuneThe PAOCC previously suggested suspending the implementation of the SIM Registration Act to give telcos time to manually verify SIM registrants
Senator Grace Poe on Sunday blamed telecommunication companies for the failure of Republic Act 111934, or the SIM Registration Act, to stop the rampant text scams victimizing Filipinos.
In a radio interview, Poe, principal author and law sponsor, said the telecommunication companies' desire for higher revenue stands in the way of achieving the measure's goal.
"It looks like they are more concerned about how many people will register so they can boast how many millions their subscribers are," she said.
"Because they include it in their forecast to determine how much they will earn. So, they can tell it to their shareholders and board. That's wrong," she added.
The country's top telecom companies had yet to respond at press time when sought by DAILY TRIBUNE to comment on Poe's tirades. However, at least one telco said during the past Senate hearings that the new law may need to be improved to remove the loopholes being exploited by scammers.
Poe also criticized the proposal of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission to temporarily suspend the online registration of SIM cards.
"Why will they blame the law? They should go after the POGOs who are doing illegal actions like that," she said, referring to the confiscated pre-registered SIM cards recently recovered in various POGO hubs in the country.
Signed into law last year, the SIM Registration Act seeks to stop the rampant scams through text messages, which have become more prevalent post-pandemic.
The PAOCC previously suggested suspending the implementation of the SIM Registration Act to give telecommunication companies time to manually verify those who have registered their SIM cards.
The National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division revealed that a monkey photo is enough to register a SIM, raising more doubts about the measure's effectiveness.
Poe stressed that telecommunication companies should fully cooperate for the law to become effective. "They should have a fast reporting mechanism. There should be someone who assists with complaints through calls from telcos," she said.
