Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session  
House Bill No. ____________ 
Introduced By Representative LORENZ R. DEFENSOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to require registration of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards 
to aid in reducing mobile phone-aided criminal activities. 
With the emergence of digital transactions and unemployment during the 
COVID-19 pandemic, cyber scams such as phishing text messages and voice calls 
accessing or tricking individuals into sharing their personal information to scammers 
also became rampant.  
As of June 2022, Globe Telecom has blocked over 138 million spam and scam text 
messages1 while PLDT Inc. blocked more than 23 million text messages that try to get 
its consumers’ personal data2. The task of identifying and penalizing these criminal 
activities proved to be difficult considering the ease of purchasing and affordability of 
SIM cards in the Philippines. In fact, an individual may purchase multiple SIM cards 
for as low as P40.00 per SIM card.  
With the continuous threat of fraud and illegal activities using SIM cards, it is 
about time that the country regulate SIM card sales and distribution to promote end-
user accountability, prevent the proliferation of mobile phone scams and enhance data 
privacy and to assist the government in solving crimes involving the use of SIM cards. 
1https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1177638#:~:text=MANILA%20%E2%80%93%20Mobile%20telecom
munications%20and%20broadband,with%20malicious%20entities%20through%20SMS. 
2https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-20/23-million-blocked-spam-messages-in-
philippines-show-scam-threat. 
August 25, 2022
10:29 am
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The proposed bill was originally filed during the 15th Congress by former Rep. 
Marcelino Teodoro, re-filed by Rep. Rodolfo Biazon during the 16th Congress, and Rep. 
Mariano Michael Velarde in the 17th Congress where it was approved on 3rd Reading 
by the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate. During the 18th 
Congress, Rep. Victor Yap re-filed it, and was approved by the House of 
Representatives on 3rd Reading. 
 
            In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      LORENZ R. DEFENSOR
 Representative, 3rd District Iloilo 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session  
House Bill No. ____________ 
Introduced By Representative LORENZ R. DEFENSOR 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING THE REGISTRATION OF SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODULE 
CARDS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Subscriber Identity 
2 
Module (SIM) Card Registration Act". 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State recognizes the vital role of information 
5 
and communications technology in nation-building and encourages its growth and 
6 
development. 
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8 
It is equally cognizant that beneficial as modern technology is, its illegal or 
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malicious use endangers people's lives, damages property, poses hazards to public 
10 
order, and even threatens the security of nations. 
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12 
Thus, there is a need to promote accountability in the use of Subscriber 
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Identity Module (SIM) card and provide law enforcement agencies the tools to 
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resolve crimes which involve its utilization and the platform to deter the 
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commission of wrongdoings. 
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Towards this end, the State shall require the registration of SIM cards by all 
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users. 
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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act: 
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(a) Direct seller refers to a person, natural or juridical, who directly dispenses or sells
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a SIM card to an end user;
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(b) End user refers to any individual/subscriber who directly purchases a SIM card
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from a direct seller;
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(c) Postpaid subscription refers to the subscription wherein service is provided by 
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virtue of a prior arrangement with a public telecommunications entity, and the 
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end user thereof is billed at the end of the monthly billing cycle according to the 
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use of mobile service; 
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(d) Prepaid subscription refers to the subscription wherein credit is purchased in 
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advance of service use. The purchased credit is used to pay for mobile phone 
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services at the point the service is accessed or consumed. If there is no available 
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credit, then access to the requested service is denied; 
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(e) Public Telecommunications Entity or PTE refers to any person, natural or juridical, 
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government or private, engaged in the provision of telecommunications services 
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to the public for compensation; 
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(f) SIM refers to the Subscriber Identity Module which is an embedded circuit that 
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securely stores international mobile subscriber identity and related keys used to 
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identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile devices, such as mobile phones 
39 
and computers; 
40 
(g) SIM card refers to a removable card into which an electronic integrated circuit is 
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embedded and is transferrable between different mobile devices; and 
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(h) SIM card registration refers to the process of recording and verifying mobile 
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phone number and personal information of a subscriber, by a PTE or other direct 
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seller, including the subscriber's full name, date of birth, gender, and address. 
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SEC. 4. Sale and Registration of SIM Cards. — Every PTE or direct seller shall 
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require the end user of a SIM card to present a valid identification document with 
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photo to ascertain the latter's identity. The PTE or direct seller shall further require 
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the end user to accomplish and sign a control-numbered registration form issued by 
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the respective of the SIM card purchased. The registration form shall include an 
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attestation by the end user that the person appearing before the direct seller is the 
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same person who accomplished and signed the registration form and that the 
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identification documents presented are valid and correct. Failure of an end user to 
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comply with the requirements under this section shall be a ground for the PTE or 
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direct seller to refuse the sale and issuance of a SIM card. 
56 
 
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Except in cases where the PTE is the direct seller, the accomplished 
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registration form must be submitted by the direct seller to the concerned PIIE within 
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fifteen (15) days from the date of sale. Failure on the part of the direct seller to 
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comply under this section shall constitute a violation of this Act. 
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SEC. 5. Coverage of Registration. — All direct sellers are hereby mandated to 
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register the following 28 information in the SIM card registration form: 
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(a) Full name, date of birth, gender, and address of the end user appearing in a valid 
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government issued identification document with photo. SIM card end users shall 
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be required to present the original copy of any of the following valid 
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government identification document (ID) with photo: 
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(1) Passport; 
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(2) National ID; 
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(3) Digitized Social Security Service (SSS) ID; 
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(4) Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) e-Card;  
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(5) Driver's license; 
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(6) Firearms' License to Own and Possess (LTOP) ID; 
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(7) Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) ID; 
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(8) Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID; 
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(9) Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID; 
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(10) Digitized Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ID; 
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(11) Voter's ID; 
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(12) Senior Citizen's card; 
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(13) Person with Disabilities (PWDs) card; or 
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(14) Other government-issued ID. 
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In the absence of any of the above IDs, a National Bureau of Investigation 
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(NBI) clearance, police clearance, or a Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) certified 
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birth certificate with an ID picture taken within the last six (6) months prior to the 
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purchase of a SIM card shall suffice. The direct seller may make further inquiries or 
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require the submission of additional identification, if necessary. The purchase of a 
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SIM card may be withheld pending submission of the additional requirements; 
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(b) Assigned cell phone number of SIM card and its serial number. 
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In the case of end users who are foreign nationals, they shall register their full 
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name, passport number, and address in the SIM card registration form upon 
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presentation of the following: 
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(1) For foreign nationals visiting as tourists for not more than thirty (30) days: 
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(i) Passport; 
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(ii) Proof of address in the Philippines; and 
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(iii) Return ticket to own country of the tourist or any other docket showing 
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the date and time of departure from the Philippines. 
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(2) For foreign nationals staying for more than thirty (30) days either as workers 
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or students: 
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(i) Passport; 
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(ii) Full name as indicated in the passport; 
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(iii) Proof of address in the Philippines; 
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(iv) Alien Employment Permit issued by the Department of Labor and 
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Employment (DOLE);  
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(v) Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card or ACRI-Card issued 
107 
by the Bureau of Immigration (131); or 
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(vi) School registration and ID for students. 
109 
 
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SEC. 6. Submission of Registration Form. — The registration form shall be 
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accomplished in triplicate, and forwarded by the direct seller to the concerned PTE. 
112 
The required registration form and copies thereof shall be certified by the direct 
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seller or any other duly appointed officer of the PTE. 
114 
 
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SEC. 7. Submission of Verified List of Dealers or Agents. -  The PTE, shall submit to 
116 
the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), within thirty (30) days from 
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the date of effectivity of this Act, a verified list of their current authorized 
118 
dealers/agents nationwide. The PTE shall submit to the NTC every quarter of each 
119 
year an updated list of the same. 
120 
 
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SEC. 8. Confidentiality Clause. — Any information in the SIM card registration 
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shall be treated as absolutely confidential, unless access to information has been 
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granted upon written consent of the subscriber: Provided, That the waiver of 
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absolute confidentiality shall not be made a condition for the Il approval of 
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subscription agreements. The confidentiality clause in the SIM card registration 
126 
shall take effect at the point of sale. 
127 
 
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SEC. 9. Disclosure of Information. — Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 8 
129 
hereof and in accordance with Section 12(e) of Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise 
130 
known as the "Data Privacy Act of 2012", the PTE shall be required to disclose the full 
131 
name and address contained in the SIM card registration, upon a duly issued 
132 
subpoena or order of a court upon finding of probable cause, or upon written 
133 
request from a law enforcement agency in relation to an ongoing investigation, that 
134 
a particular number is used in the commission of a crime or that it was used as a 
135 
means to commit an unlawful act. 
136 
 
137 
SEC. 10. SIM Card Register. — All PTEs are required to maintain a SIM Card 
138 
Register of their subscribers containing the information required under Section 5 of 
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this Act. 
140 
 
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In case of loss of a SIM card or any change in information contained in the 
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registration form after purchase of the SIM card, the subscriber shall notify the PTE 
143 
within forty-eight (48) hours from such loss or change in information. All PTEs are 
144 
required to keep the data of their subscribers and shall ensure that this data is kept 
145 
with utmost confidentiality. 
146 
 
147 
SEC. 11. Registration of Existing Prepaid Mobile Phone Subscribers. — All existing 
148 
mobile phone subscribers with prepaid SIM cards are required to register with their 
149 
respective PTE within one hundred eighty (180) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
150 
 
151 
An extension period of not longer than one hundred twenty (120) days shall be 
152 
allowed upon a valid written request to the Department of Information and 
153 
Communications Technology (DICT). 
154 
 
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Failure to register within the prescribed period shall authorize the PTE to 
156 
automatically deactivate of its services to the concerned prepaid SIM card 
157 
subscriber. 
158 
 
159 
SEC. 12. Penalties. — The following penalties shall be imposed for failure to comply 
160 
with any of the provisions of this Act: 
161 
 
162 


(a) If the offense is committed by a PTE, the President and other responsible officers 
163 
of the PTE shall be held liable, and the following penalties shall be imposed: 
164 
 
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(1) First offense: a fine not exceeding Three hundred thousand pesos 
166 
(P300,000.00); 
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(2) Second offense: a fine not exceeding Five hundred thousand pesos 
168 
(P500,000.00); and 
169 
(3) Third and subsequent offenses: a fine not exceeding One million pesos 
170 
(P1,000,000.00) for every offense; 
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(b) If the offense is committed by a direct seller, a penalty of suspension of its 
172 
operation and a fine of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to Fifty thousand pesos 
173 
(P50,000.00) shall be imposed; and 
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(c) If the offense is committed by an officer or employee of an implementing agency 
175 
under this Act, a penalty of suspension or dismissal from service and a fine to be 
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determined by the court shall be imposed without prejudice to the filing of an 
177 
appropriate criminal, civil and administrative case. 
178 
 
179 
SEC. 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). — Within ninety (90) days 
180 
from the effectivity of this Act, the NTC, in coordination with the DICT and other 
181 
concerned agencies, shall promulgate the rules and regulations and other issuances 
182 
as may be necessary to ensure the effective implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 14. Transitory Provision. Only direct sellers who have been duly authorized 
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by the PTEs and the NTC shall be allowed to sell prepaid SIM cards. Upon the 
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effectivity of this Act, all PTEs are mandated to recall all prepaid SIM cards for sale 
187 
to the public by those establishments not authorized by it. Otherwise, they shall be 
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liable for the penalties prescribed in this Act. 
189 
 
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SEC. 15. Separability Clause. — Should any part of this Act be declared 
191 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof that are not affected thereby 
192 
shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
193 
 
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SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules 
195 
and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the 
196 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
197 
 
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SEC. 17. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
199 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
200 
 
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Approved. 
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