DOTC to prosecute malicious texters

Poll bets may no longer use their cell phones to demolish their opponents. The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) signed yesterday an agreement with cellular phone operators to control the irresponsible use of their short message services.

"We want the transmission of malicious, profane and obscene messages stopped through this program. We hope to promote responsible texting," said DOTC Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez.

Text messaging has become so popular among Filipinos that the country has been called the "text messaging capital of the world."

Some candidates are also expected to put up their own text brigades to boost their electoral bids and malign their rivals.

Alvarez noted that under the program, those who receive offensive text messages may complain to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), an agency attached to the DOTC.

"After due investigation and warning, we’ll secure the appropriate order from the proper courts to order the telephone companies to block or invalidate a subject SIM (subscriber’s identity module) card," he added.

The two cell phone operators will assign a single mobile telephone number that will be used by the NTC to text warning messages to a SIM number that is under complaint.

NTC Commissioner Eliseo Rio Jr. said the commission will just make warnings for the first three offenses.

"On the fourth offense, we’ll repeatedly send a message asking the cell phone owner to appear before the NTC within 10 days. After this period, we’ll file the case in the proper court so we can have the subject SIM card blocked," he added.

The blocking of the SIM card will be like penalizing the cell phone subscriber because each SIM card now costs some P1,000.