Duterte vetoes proposed SIM Card Registration Act
President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed a proposed law seeking registration of SIM cards and social media accounts, which seeks to address rising incidence of cybercrimes and information technology-related offenses, , the Palace said in a statement Friday.
Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar said Duterte opted to veto the consolidated Senate Bill No. 2395/House Bill No. 5793 because the SIM Card Registration Act included social media, "which was not part of the original version of the bill."
''Prior versions only mandated the registration of SIM cards,'' said Andanar.
"The President similarly found that certain aspects of state intrusion, or the regulation thereof, have not been duly defined, discussed, or threshed out in the enrolled bill, with regard to social media registration," Andanar said.
The legislation would have required public telecommunication firms and direct sellers of SIM cards to register personal information of users of SIM cards, which will be submitted to the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT).
Andanar said Duterte hopes lawmakers will be able to craft a better version of the bill, which will be "consistent with the demands of the Constitution, such as those which guarantee individual privacy and free speech.''
"We ask Congress not to lose heart in passing effective and strengthened measures that offer our citizens a safe and secure online environment, provided that the same would stand judicial scrutiny," Andanar said.
The bill is part of the priority measures of the Duterte administration to address growing number of online scams. DMS
