THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has instructed its personnel to immediately comply with the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act at the start of the new year.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said that as one of the major agencies tasked to go after cybercriminals, it is right that the 227,000 officers and rank-and-file staff should lead in the registration of their SIM cards.
They are also encouraged to ask their families and household members to do the same, as instructed by Republic Act 11934.
“I directed the PNP DICTM (Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management) to monitor the compliance of our personnel,” Azurin said in a statement.
The law provides subscribers 180 days from December 27 to register their SIM cards. The law states that it may be extended by another 120 days depending on the situation.
Those with existing SIM cards who are not registered will be deactivated. New purchases, meanwhile, are required to register before activation.
Azurin said technology, while being a technological boon for communication, is also becoming a bane as cybersecurity threats invade personal communications.
“Through this timely legislation, we are closing all windows of opportunity for criminal elements to take advantage by soliciting the immediate compliance to the law of all mobile phone users,” Azurin said.
“Rest assured that the PNP, under my leadership, will do all our best within our mandate to make this happen,” he added.
Earlier, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the “law will enable the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to quickly act on complaints and cases involving mobile scams as they will be able to easily track offenders and resolve misconduct involving telecommunication devices.”
