House urges NTC: Strictly implement SIM card law

MANILA, Philippines — The chairman of the House committee on information and communications technology yesterday called on the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to strictly implement the SIM Card Registration Act to curb rampant text scamming in the country.

According to panel chair and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, the strict enforcement of the law could be a “game-changer in combating text scams.”

“One of the main reasons Speaker Martin Romualdez advocated for the SIM Registration Act was to institutionalize regulatory mechanisms capable of effectively addressing fraudulent acts. With the strict implementation of this law, we can gain momentum in both preventing and apprehending individuals or organized syndicates involved in text scams,” Tiangco said.

He noted that the private sector plays a crucial role in “supporting government efforts to prevent cybercrimes and underscored the need for agencies like the NTC to lead these collaborative programs.”

“I always stress the importance of a proactive approach in effectively dealing with cybercrimes. It requires a multi-stakeholder effort, and by properly implementing the SIM Registration Act, we can gain headway in protecting Filipinos from fraudulent acts designed to obtain their personal information or, worse, use their identity for financial gain,” he added.

The lawmaker claimed that NTC is already meeting with telecommunication companies and SIM card distributors and retailers so they could “include in their agenda a specific initiative that will foster close collaboration to curb these scams.”

Tiangco made the call following an advisory of the Social Security System (SSS) warning its members of an ongoing phishing scam done through text messages.

The advisory cautions SSS members to be wary of text messages asking them to click on a link for benefit claims, expiring contribution payments, or My.SSS registration.