Prepaid SIM card holders could soon be afforded the same registration requirement as postpaid phone subscribers.
Proponents of a measure that seeks the registration of prepaid SIM cards have gained a supporter in the Department of Justice.
“In a two-page legal opinion, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said it is within the power of the Congress to enact laws, such as the SIM Card Registration Act, that will ensure the safety and welfare of the public,” reports Leonard Postrado in Manila Bulletin.
Should it manage to pass the legislative mill hurdle the measure will require telecommunications companies to maintain a database of SIM cards sold that authorities can use to hunt down criminals.
De Lima says she sees no constitutional violation in the proposed measure, which has six different versions pending before committees in the House of Representatives. She, however, suggested having these consolidated into a single version.
Photo by Richard Wheeler/Zephyris (Wikipedia)
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