EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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S E N A T E
Senate Bill No.
693
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JUL 22 
P 3 ^ 6
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS N. PANGILINAN
"RECTT
AN ACT
TO ERADICATE CELLULAR PHONE-AIDED TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL 
ACTIVITIES MANDATING FOR THIS PURPOSE OWNERSHIP REGISTRATION 
OF ALL PREPAID SIM CARDS FOR CELLULAR PHONES AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Due to technological advancements, the use of mobile phones have transcended 
beyond mere calling and texting. Mobile phone users can now access the internet from 
anywhere, capable of doing almost any transaction - mobile banking, video streaming, 
food delivery, to name a few - with just a few clicks of a button. However, there are 
some people who take advantage of mobile phone technology to do illegal activities and 
get away with it. Mobile phones have been used by these criminals to detonate bombs 
that kill numerous people. Phones have also been used in text messaging scams that 
victimize the unsuspecting Filipino.
Criminals who commit crimes using mobile phones often remain unpunished 
because they use prepaid SIM cards, which are unregistered and untraceable. Unlike 
postpaid SIM cards which are registered with service providers, anybody can easily 
purchase prepaid SIM cards and maintain his or her anonymity.
Based on the Securities and Exchange Commission documents of the two biggest 
telecommunications companies in the Philippines, only 4,918,210 of the total 134,591,608 
subscribers or around 3.6% are postpaid subscribers. Put simply, 96.4% of the total 
subscribers are prepaid subscribers - unregistered and untraced.
This bill seeks to recjuire service providers to register all their prepaid subscribers 
upon purchase with a view to deterring cellular phone-aided crimes. Once registered, 
the identity of a prepaid SIM card user may be determined upon lawful order of a 
court.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
^PANGILINAN
FRAN


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. ^ ^ 3
o( il;. S 6 > '':rftn ip
•19 
JUL22 P 3 =56
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS N. PANGILINAN 
------------------------------------------------------------RCCii. u\
AN ACT
TO ERADICATE CELLULAR PHONE-AIDED TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL 
ACTIVITIES MANDATING FOR THIS PURPOSE OWNERSHIP REGISTRATION 
OF ALL PREPAID SIM CARDS FOR CELLULAR PHONES AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the 
Philippines in Congress assetnbled:
SECTION 1, Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "SIM Card Registration 
Act of 2019".
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - For the purpose of this Act, the following terms shall
mean:
a) 
Cellular Phone-Aided Crimes - shall mean any crime committed with the use of 
a SIM card attached to a device, such as mobile phones;
b) 
Prepaid SIM Card - shall mean a SIM card which requires its user to pre-pay 
for credits before being able to use telecommunications services;
c) 
Postpaid SIM Card - shall mean a SIM card which allows its users to make 
subsequent payment for service usage. Subscribers who use Postpaid SIM 
Cards are registered with the Service Provider and are billed at the end of the 
billing cycle;
d) 
SIM Card Register - shall mean a database of the Service Provider's prepaid 
and postpaid subscribers containing the information required under Section 4 
of this Act;


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e) 
Service Provider - shall mean a telecommunications entity providing 
telecommunications services to its subscribers;
f) 
Subscriber Identity Module Card or SIM Card - is an integrated circuit chip that 
is intended to securely store the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) 
number and its related key, which are used to identify and authenticate 
subscribers on mobile telephone devices; and
g) 
Third Party Reseller - shall mean any entity who sells Prepaid SIM Cards, other 
than Service Providers.
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SEC. 3. Prepaid SIM Card Registration. - In orcier to deter Cellular Phone-aided
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Crimes, such as but not limited to bombings with the use of cellular prepaid phones to
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trigger bombs, text scams, and child pornography, each person buying Prepaid SIM
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Cards is required to register such purchase in accordance with the guidelines set forth in
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Section 4 of this Act.
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Owners of active Prepaid SIM Cards acquired prior to the implementation of this
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Act shall likewise undergo the same registration process before the activation of their
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cellular services in the succeeding credit reload.
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SEC. 4. Registration Guidelines. - The National Telecommunications Commission
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(NTC), in close connection with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Service
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Providers, after consultation with major consumer groups with national memberships,
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shall formulate the necessary guidelines in the proper implementation of the Prepaid SIM
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Card registration process based on the following parameters:
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a) 
Submission of a duly accomplished registration form;
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b) 
Submission of a government-issued identification card and/or other valid
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identification cards or other forms of documents that will duly identify the
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Prepaid SIM Card buyer in the case of Filipino citizens, and a copy of his or
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her passport in the case of foreigners;


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c) 
Each person can only register up to three (3) Prepaid SIM Cards across all 
Service Providers. Owners of more than three (3) Prepaid SIM Cards prior to 
the implementation of this Act shall be given the option to either discontinue 
or transfer the ownership of the excess Prepaid SIM Cards;
d) 
Active Prepaid SIM Cards acquired prior to the implementation of this Act 
that fail to be registered within the period stated in Section 10 of this Act shall 
automatically be deactivated by the concerned Service Provider; and
e) 
Only persons fifteen (15) years old and above may register and/or buy Prepaid 
SIM Cards.
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SEC. 5. Subuiissiou of Registration Form. - The registration form, including its
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relevant attachments and supporting documents, shall be accomplished in triplicate and
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shall be then forwarded by the Third Party Reseller to the concerned Service Provider
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within fifteen (15) days from the sale. Service Providers shall submit a copy of the duly
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certified registration form, including its relevant attachments and supporting documents,
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to the NTC within fifteen (15) days from receipt from the Third Party Reseller or from the
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date of sale, if the sale was made directly by the Service Providers. The registration form,
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including its relevant attachments and supporting documents, shall be certified by any
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of the following officers of the Service Provider: President, General Manager, Treasurer,
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Corporate Secretary, or any other duly appointed officer.
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SEC. 6. Submission of Verified List of Third Party Resellers. - Service Providers
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shall submit to the NTC a verified list of their current Third Party Resellers within thirty
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(30) days from the date of effectivity of this Act. Thereafter, the Service Providers shall
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submit an updated list of the same to the NTC every quarter of every year.
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SEC. 7. Liability of Third Party Resellers. - Third Party Resellers who engage in
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the sale of fraudulently-registered or stolen Prepaid SIM Cards shall be held criminally
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liable.


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SEC. 8. Confidentiality Clause. - Unless expressly waived in writing by the
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subscriber or upon lawful order of a court, any information in relation to SIM card
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registration shall be treated as confidential information. Such waiver shall not be made
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as a condition for the approval of subscription agreements with Service Providers.
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SEC. 9. SIM Card Register. - All Service Providers are required to submit an
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updated SIM Card Register to the NTC every six (6) months. Service Providers shall
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ensure that the information in their SIM Card Registers are accurate and up to date.
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SEC. 10. Registration of Existing Prepaid SIM Cards. - All subscribers with
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existing Prepaid SIM Cards shall register with their respective Service Providers within
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one hundred eighty (180) days from the effectivity of this Act. Upon a valid written
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request by the subscriber, the NTC may extend such deadline by not longer than one
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hundred twenty (120) days.
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Prepaid SIM Cards not registered within the prescribed period shall be
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automatically deactivated by the Service Providers.
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SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the
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date of effectivity of this Act, the DTI and the NTC shall jointly formulate the rules and
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regulations for the proper implementation of this Act.
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SEC. 12. Penalties. - Any person or entity who violates any provision of this Act
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shall be penalized by imprisonment for a maximum period of one year, or a fine of not
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less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) but not more than Three Hundred Thousand
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Pesos (P300,000.00), or both at the discretion of the court.
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SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. - All statutory laws, orders, issuances, rules and
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regulations, and/or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
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are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
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SEC. 14. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
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invalid or unconstitutional, the portions or provisions which are not affected shall remain
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valid and effective.


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SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,