Solon wants prepaid cell phone users registered

DAVAO CITY – Claiming that "libelous" text messages have brought him and his family tremendous pain, Davao City first district Rep. Prospero Nograles has filed a bill seeking the identification and registration of prepaid cellular phone subscribers.

Nograles cited the frustration and anxiety that he and other people who found themselves in a similar situation felt when they were victimized by unscrupulous text message senders.

If such irresponsible texting continues, he said this would cause further problems and besmirching of reputations of many individuals.

"There was no way we could trace them. Neither was there a way we would know whoever started those malicious messages," said Nograles, referring to text messages which implicated him in the so-called "Burlesk King" scandal.

As the story went, Nograles was allegedly caught with his pants down by the police officer-husband of a Davao City broadcaster inside a hotel room.

Nograles, a member of the House committee on communications and transportation, has filed libel cases against a tabloid and a radio station which reported the text messages.

The non-registration of prepaid cell phone subscribers, Nograles said, has led to the proliferation of massive disinformation, hate messages, political blackmail, threats, sexual harassment and libelous statements via texting.

House Bill No. 150, which Nograles co-authored with Rep. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, requires the registration of prepaid Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) packs for cellular phones that are sold.

Under the bill, those engaged in the sale of prepaid SIM packs must duly register pertinent information about the identity of the buyer such as full name and address, the cell phone number and the cost of the SIM pack bought. The buyer must present an acceptable proof of identification.

The bill requires the sellers of prepaid SIM packs to issue receipts to buyers, and forward certified true records of the purchases to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The BIR, in turn, shall assess and collect the appropriate taxes from the sale of prepaid SIM packs based on the documents.

HB 150 provides penalties for establishments found violating the provisions: a fine of P50,000 for the first offense and P100,000 for the second offense. For the third offense, violators face a jail term from one to six months and a fine of P100,000.

For the fourth offense, the business license of the violating establishment will be revoked, aside from a fine of P500,000 and a jail term for the company’s president, general manager, treasurer or duly appointed officer.

Nograles’ bill provides that the BIR shall issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations of the measure, if passed into law.