Senator Win Gatchalian on Monday called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to take urgent action against the rampant sale of pre-registered SIM cards, warning that the holiday season could see a spike in scams and financial crimes facilitated by these unregulated numbers.

“I am calling on the NTC and DICT to use everything in their power to compel the telcos to come up with mechanisms that would identify the subscribers. You need to come up with an innovative solution. We cannot allow this to continue. The law is already there,” Gatchalian said.

During a recent Senate hearing on the agencies’ proposed budgets for next year, the senator presented photos showing pre-registered SIM cards being openly sold on online marketplaces like Facebook and Shopee.

“We need to put an end to this. Matagal na nating pinag-uusapan ito, lalo na ngayong magpapasko na naman (This has been tackled for a long time, especially now that the Christmas season is approaching),” he added.

As one of the authors of the SIM Registration Act, Gatchalian emphasized that the law’s intended purpose, which includes helping law enforcement track individuals involved in financial crimes and online scams, has not been fully realized. 

He lamented that pre-registered SIMs remain easily accessible to anyone.

Hence, the senator urged both DICT and NTC to enforce stricter regulations and innovative solutions to ensure telcos verify subscribers effectively, warning that failure to act could result in a surge of scams during the busy holiday season.