Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to strictly enforce the SIM Card Registration law throughout the country.

Gatchalian made this call following the retrieval of subscriber identity module cards in a series of operations against the Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL), formerly termed POGO or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator, in Tarlac.

During the execution of a warrant to seize and examine computer data from the raided Zun Yuan Technology Inc. on March 22 and 23, law enforcers recovered assorted SIM cards, along with hundreds of cellular phones and digital devices.

“This illustrates the extent of scamming activities being carried out by POGOs. It is not the first time this has happened. In fact, many SIM cards have already been confiscated in previous raids on POGOs/IGLs,” Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, said in a news release.

Gatchalian, co-author of the SIM Registration Act or Republic Act 11934, noted that legitimate SIM card users continue to receive text messages aimed at defrauding unwitting subscribers.

He said groups behind many scamming activities in the country could be related to POGOs/IGLs.

“It is alarming to note that unscrupulous individuals or groups continue to commit fraud and various scamming activities even after the measure was passed into law. This goes to show that we have yet to achieve the purpose of this legislation, and it is the job of the NTC to ensure that provisions of this law are implemented thoroughly,” Gatchalian said.

The law aims to establish accountability in the use of SIM cards and deter the use of SIM-related technology in various scamming activities. (PNA)