SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
SECOND REGULAR SESSION 
) 
'15 lillR-3 P3:45 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2677 
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III A 
AN ACT 
TO ERADICATE MOBILE PHONE-AIDED TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL 
ACTIVITES MANDATING FOR THIS PURPOSE OWNERSHIP 
REGISTRATION OF ALL PRE-PAID SIM CARDS FOR CELLULAR 
PHONES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Mobile phone technology evolved over the years since its 
inception using analogue systemthat started wireless telephony until 
it turned digital. 
Such revolution in the technology continues to 
advance with the emergence of smartphones that brings out not only 
the delivery of better services for telecommunication producing crisp 
voice reception, real time SMS delivery, but countless of other digital 
services like Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 4G capable of handling and 
transferring large size of data;making remote access to bank accounts, 
payment facilities and countless of other remote technological 
innovations, integrated into a digital sim card utilized by mobile 
phones, at everyone's fingertips. 
The benefits of having this kind of technology however, does not 
always work for the betterment of the society. It has become a 
common practice for modern-day criminals and terrorists to take 
advantage of the mobile phone technology in carrying out their illegal 
activities, particularly phones using pre-paid sim cards due to their 
nature of being unregistered and untraceable. 
The use of pre-paid sim in this country has flourished 
considering that this can be purchased practically anywhere by 
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anybody without any required identification and credit background 
restrictions, making it very convenient to avail of cellular services in 
an instant. 
In the Philippines, subscriber base of pre-paid sim cards grew 
dramatically each year reaching an estimated number of almost 100 
million, which comprise about 90% of the entire cellular phone service 
market. This definitely makes such technology as a favored tool in the 
commission of crimes by both the organized and small-scale criminals 
alike. 
It has been confirmed by investigators in the Philippine National 
Police in their number of reports over the recent years that 
perpetrators of bombings in public places in various parts of the 
country made use of cellular pre-paid phones to trigger the defusing of 
bombs that killed and injured many innocent victims. 
This kind of threat has alarmed our law enforcers compelling 
them to work withmajor telecommunication companies to either shut 
down or weaken the transmission of cellular phone signals in certain 
areas during major social events, that can draw the gathering of 
thousands to millions of crowds, in order to avoid remote defusing of 
bombs using cellular phones. Such occasions of restricting cellular 
signals were enforced during the Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo 
and the recent Papal visit in the country, to name a few. 
Moreover, events of kidnappings involves the use of prepaid 
cellular phones to get in touch with families of the victims as well as 
law enforcers to communicate and relay demands, and each call 
maintained anonymity. 
It wont be long that financial frauds, as another form of criminal 
activity utilizing pre-paid sim cards, will soon emerge to victimize the 
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public as newly developed sim cards now come with an e-wallet 
service than can be used to purchase cellular credit loads, pay utility 
bills, order food in restaurants, and shop in establishments. 
Criminal use of wireless technology is a global problem, in other 
countries wherein the use of prepaid mobile lines are likewise 
rampant, have started requiring not only ownership registration but 
also mandating service providers to integrate security devices to 
counter criminal activities. 
This piece of legislation primarily intends to be an effective 
remedial measure to mandate cellular service providers to require the 
registration of all prepaid cell phone subscribers by asking valid ID at 
purchase, and in turn start build databases and come up with profiles 
of these buyers the same way police detectives profile criminal 
suspects to easily detect criminal perpetrators. 
I therefore urge my colleagues to support the passage of this 
important measure as viable means of eradicating pre-paid cellular-
aided crimes. 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
SECOND REGULAR SESSION 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. ~6 
7 7 
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III 
AN ACT 
TO ERADICATE MOBILE PHONE-AIDED TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL 
ACTMTES MANDATING FOR THIS PURPOSE OWNERSHIP 
REGISTRATION OF ALL PRE-PAID SIM CARDS FOR CELLULAR 
PHONES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House oj Representatives oj the 
Philippines in Congress Assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title : This Act shall be known as 
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"CELLPHONE REGISTRATION ACT OF 2015" 
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SECTION 2. Prepaid Sim Card Registration-
In order to 
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neutralize the rampancy in carrying out of cellular phone-aided 
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crimes, all mobile phone service providers shall require ownership 
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registration as prerequisite to selling pre-paid sim cards on the 
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gUidelines set forth in Sec. 2: 
PrOvided, however, that owners of 
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active pre-paid sim acquired prior to the implementation of this Act, 
10 
shalllikewise undergo the same registration process, before the 
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activation of their cellular services on the succeeding credit reload. 
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13 
SECTION 
3. Registration 
Guidelines -
The 
National 
14 
Telecommunications Commission (NTClin close coordination with the 
15 
Department of Trade and Industry(DTI) and Telecommunication 
16 
Companies and in consultation with major Consumer Groups with 
" 
if
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1 
national membership, shall formulate the necessary gUidelines in the 
2 
proper implementation of the pre-paid sim card registration 
3 
processbased on the following parameters: 
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1. Submission of duly accomplished owner's registration form; 
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2. Submission of government issued identification cards and/or 
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other valid IDs or other similar forms of government issued 
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documents that will duly identity the pre-paid sim card 
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buyer, and in case of an alien tourist, a copy of his/her 
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passport; 
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3. Each buyer can only register up to three (3) pre-paid SIM 
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cards across all service providers; owners of more than 3 pre-
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paid sim cards prior to the implementation of this Act will be 
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given the option to either discontinue or transfer the 
ownership of the excess pre-paid sim; 
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4. Active 
pre-paid 
sim 
cards 
acquired 
prior 
to 
the 
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implementation of this act, that fail to be registered within 
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fifteen (15) days from its intended credit reload as provided 
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for in Sec. 1, shall automatically be deactivated by the 
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concerned cellular service provider; and 
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5. A registered sim card owner should at least be fifteen (15) 
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years of age. 
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SECTION 4. Obligations and Liabilities of Third Party 
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Resellers - Within three days from the receipt of a completed 
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ownership, all third party resellers of pre-paid sim cards must turn-
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over to the respective service providers the records and accompanying 
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documents of the buyers. Reseller that will engage in the selling of 
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fraudulently-registered or stolen pre-paid sim cards shall be held 
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criminally liable; 
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SECTION 5. Reportorial Requirements and Internal Rules 
32 
and Regulations - To ensure that all stakeholders will comply with 
33 
the proper enforcement of the provisions of this act, the DTl is hereby 
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1 
mandated to oversee its implementation for the next three (3) years 
2 
and shall submit to Congress report of compliance. For this purpose, 
3 
the DTI and the NTC shall set the guidelines for the monitoring of the 
4 
proper implementation of this Act and shall issue the necessary 
5 
implementing rules and regulations within thirty (30) days upon its 
6 
effectivity. 
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SECTION 6. Penalties - Any person or entity who violates any 
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prOvision of this Act shall. upon conviction, be penalized by 
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imprisonment for a maximum period of one year, or a fine of not less 
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than P50,000 nor more than P300,000; or both such fine and 
12 
imprisonment at the discretion of the court. 
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SECTION 6. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
15 
days after its publication in the Official Gazette and at least two (2) 
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national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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