The President has decided to veto the consolidated Senate Bill No. 2395/House Bill No. 5793, which seeks to mandate the registration of all SIM cards and social media accounts, with the purpose of deterring electronic communication-aided crimes.

The President noted that the inclusion of social media providers in the registration requirement was not part of the original version of the bill and needs a more thorough study. Prior versions only mandated the registration of SIM cards. The President similarly found that certain aspects of state intrusion, or the regulation thereof, have not been duly defined, discussed, or threshed out in the enrolled bill, with regard to social media registration.

While the President lauds the efforts of Congress in finding ways to address the increasing incidence of cybercrimes and information and communications technology (ICT)-related offenses, he was constrained to disagree with the inclusion of social media in the measure, without providing proper guidelines and definitions thereto, as the same may give rise to a situation of dangerous state intrusion and surveillance threatening many constitutionally protected rights.

It is incumbent upon the Office of the President to ensure that any statute is consistent with the demands of the Constitution, such as those which guarantee individual privacy and free speech. This notwithstanding, we ask Congress not to lose heart in passing effective and strengthened measures that offer our citizens a safe and secure online environment, provided that the same would stand judicial scrutiny. 

Sec. Martin M. Andanar
Presidential Communications Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson