President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the SIM Card Registration Bill last Friday, April 15.

The Computer Professionals’ Union welcomes President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to veto the SIM Card Registration Bill.
While Duterte had only commented on the provisions on social media, we reiterate the dangers of SIM Card registration itself, as well as the provision that legitimizes the state’s use of spoofing by exempting penalties for “(1) authorized activities of law enforcement agencies; or (2) a court order specifically authorizing the use of caller ID manipulation”.

We anticipate that this is not the last time that we will see the SIM Card Registration Bill or any such bills that will require the Filipino people to give up their rights to privacy in the guise of addressing crime or terrorism. We assert that there is no technology or regulation thereof that will act as a silver bullet to address societal ills, especially if the root causes of these problems are not even acknowledged. For as long as the people in power fail to protect the interests of the Filipino masses and favor their own gains, the tendency towards state repression and surveillance will persist.

As we celebrate this victory, let us continue to be vigilant of actors who strive to take advantage of technology and policy to trample on our rights. Let us raise awareness of the importance of privacy and anonymity, both online and offline. Let us study the technologies that arise, and move to break the monopolies around these technologies.