A Palace official said on Thursday the need to amend the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration law after Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed concern over the resurgence of text scams following the government's ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) which took effect this year.

"We will push for the amendment of the law on this (SIM Registration Act) because it is one of the reasons why there are this kind of text scams. It should be reviewed to make the law effective," Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro told reporters in the Palace on Thursday.

"As a lawyer, I think there is really a need to amend the SIM card registration. It's registration should be like when you get a driver's license where you have to go there personally. Even when you get (National Bureau of Investigation) NBI clearance you applied for it in person," she added.

Last month, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) admitted gaps in the implementation of the SIM Registration Act, especially in the identity verification measures.

Castro said the problem in identity verification was due to the online registration which was allowed under the law.

"The registration continued even though people were saying that even monkey's can register," she said.

The SIM Registration Act that was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in October 10, 2022 was implemented before the end of the same year. Robina Asido/DMS