SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday slammed the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for its failure to effectively implement the provisions of the SIM Registration Law, which he said has allowed illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to perpetuate their scams through text or short media service (SMS) messaging.
Gatchalian, in a statement, noted that a significant number of SIM cards are being used by POGO scammers.
“The NTC should do its job of ensuring effective implementation of the SIM Registration Law. The goal of this legislation is to provide accountability for those using SIM cards and to support law enforcement in tracking perpetrators of crimes committed through phones.
But because the NTC has apparently forgotten its responsibility, scammers in the POGO industry continue to use SIM cards unabatedly,” said Gatchalian, who is a co-author of RA 11934 or the SIM Registration Act.
Gatchalian said RA 11934 was enacted with the main objective of reducing, if not eliminating, scams perpetrated through text messaging or online messages.
However, he lamented that since the law was enacted on October 10, 2022, scamming activities have risen significantly, contrary to expectations.
“SIM registration is an important tool in combating online crimes that make use of phones.
The NTC should stop sleeping on its job so we can realize this goal,” said Gatchalian as he urged the Commission to make sure that the law is properly implemented.
Gatchalian said one common denominator among POGOs raided by authorities is the discovery of a significant number of SIM cards that are used for fraud and scamming purposes, including “love” and other investment scams.
He said this was the case in the raids conducted on Smartweb Technology Corp. in Pasay City, Zun Yuan Technology in Bamban in Tarlac, and Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.
In the Bamban POGO hub, Gatchalian said operatives also found several phones and scripts for scamming purposes.
In the Lucky South 99 raid, authorities were also able to recover various phone devices, illegal drugs, and torture devices.
Gatchalian has been pushing for the closure of POGOs due to the rising number of crimes attributed to the industry, including human trafficking, illegal detention, kidnapping, and scamming activities such as the love scam and investment scams using SIM cards.
