The government has extended the deadline for SIM registration by 90 days, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Tuesday, April 25.
Remulla was present at the sectoral meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang earlier in the day to decide whether to extend the deadline, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 26.
The decision comes after the latest data from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) shows that only 82.84 million SIMs, representing 49.31% of the 168 million subscriber base nationwide, had been registered as of Sunday, April 23.
Telecommunications companies had asked the DICT to extend the deadline.
The SIM Registration Act (Republic Act 11934), which seeks to provide law enforcement agencies the necessary tools to deter crimes committed using SIM cards, allows an extension of up to 120 days.
Non-registration will result in the deactivation of SIMs and eSIMs, barring individuals from receiving and sending calls and text messages and accessing mobile applications and digital wallets, the DICT said.
The SIM registration started last December.
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No TRO on SIM registration
In another development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday denied the request of the law’s opponents to temporarily block its implementation.
Instead, the SC justices required the respondents, such as the DICT and the National Telecommunications Commission, to file their comments within 10 days from receipt of the notice, according to the high court’s public information office.
The petitioners, which include the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and representatives from the Bayan Muna party-list and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, alleged that the law violates the freedom of speech, the right against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to privacy.
