The Nation

ing; declare the SIM Registration Act unconstitutional on its face for infringing Art. III Sections 1, 2, 3, and 11 of the 1987 Constitution; and order the respondent public telecommunication entities (PTEs) to cease and desist from using, storing, transferring, and processing all information gathered into the SIM Register and to destroy data already gathered.

Named respondents were the National Telecommunications Commision (NTC), National Privacy Commission, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Education, Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communications Inc., PLDT Inc., Dito Telecommunity Corporation, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc., doing business as Sun Cellular, and Cherry Mobile Communications Inc.

The SC did not give credence to the petitioners’ claim that there was a need to immediately enjoin the implementation of the law as more than 106 million other unregistered Filipinos stand to be disenfranchised through automatic deactivation of their SIMs if they fail to comply with the April 26 deadline.