Sen. Grace Poe, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, is set to lead a hearing on the mandatory registration of prepaid subscriber identity module (SIM) cards and the non-expiration of unused prepaid load credits and data.
Joint with trade, commerce and entrepreneurship, the Poe-led panel will conduct a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 10:30 a.m.
The Philippine government previously stated that the top three most prevalent crimes when the country was in strict lockdown were phishing, online selling scams and proliferation of misinformation. United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund also reported that the country saw a 260-percent increase in reports of online child abuse materials during the lockdown.
The joint panel will discuss Senate Bill Nos. 25, 109, 176, 236, 340, 388 and 693 on the mandatory registration of SIM cards and Senate Bill Nos. 365 and 1880 on non-expiration of load credits and data.
Invited to the hearing are Department of Information and Communications Technology Sec. Gregorio Honasan II; Department of Justice Sec. Menardo Guevarra; Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Ramon Lopez; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Benjamin Diokno; National Telecommunications Commission Comm. Gamaliel Cordoba; National Bureau of Investigation OIC Eric Distor and Cybercrime Division Chief Victor Lorenzo; Philippine National Police Chief Debold Sinas and Cybercrime Dir. Robert Rodriguez; and National Privacy Commission Comm. Raymund Liboro.
Private sectors include Globe President Ernest Cu; Smart Communications Inc. Chairman Manuel Pangilinan; Dito Telecommunity President Dennis Uy; Sun Cellular President Orlando Banzon Vea; PLDT First Vice President Aileen Regio; and Democracy.net.ph’s Tito Pierre Galla.
