In Iloilo City, 2,500 registered SIM cards seized ahead of polls
ILOILO CITY—Police cyber agents have intercepted 2,500 preregistered SIM (subscriber identity module) cards valued at P1.25 million and arrested a 27-year-old online seller in an operation that authorities said thwarted potential vote-buying and large-scale digital fraud ahead of the May 12 elections.
Police Col. Timmar Alam, chief of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit in Western Visayas (Racu-6), believed the registered SIMs—already activated under fictitious identities—could be used for phishing and identity fraud, online money mule schemes and vote-buying or vote-selling via e-wallet transfers.
“These SIM cards can easily be exploited for phishing, identity fraud, and online vote buying. They allow perpetrators to hide behind fake identities, which is exactly what the law aims to prevent,” he said in an interview on April 29.
The suspect, identified only as “Nonoy” or “James,” was arrested on April 26 during an entrapment operation at Fort San Pedro in Iloilo City after a two-week surveillance of his Facebook Marketplace listings.
Investigators said Nonoy had agreed to deliver 3,000 SIM cards shipped from Cebu, but eventually brought just 2,500 pieces priced at P500 each, or up to 10 times their normal retail cost.
Nonoy was detained on charges of violating Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act in relation to RA 10175 Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
RA 11934 prohibits the sale, distribution, or transfer of registered SIMs precisely to block anonymous criminal activity.
Digital surveillance
The operation began with a two-week digital surveillance followed by an agreed-upon meetup at Fort San Pedro.
The sting resulted in the confiscation of 2,500 registered SIMs, assorted sales receipts and two mobile phones allegedly used to facilitate the illegal transactions.
The Commission on Elections has flagged preregistered or “clean-name” SIMs as a growing election-risk tool.
The poll body recently partnered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and other agencies to trace suspicious e-wallet transfers, although financial privacy rules still hamper real-time tracking.
Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang, acting director of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, lauded the team behind the successful operation and encouraged the public to remain vigilant by reporting any unlawful online transactions involving registered SIM cards.
Investigators are now tracing the supply chain to determine whether a larger syndicate—possibly operating out of Cebu or Metro Manila—is funneling registered SIMs nationwide.
Additional charges may be filed if links to election offenses are proven.
For now, authorities said the Iloilo seizure removed a sizable cache of illicit SIMs from circulation and serves as an early warning that digital vote-buying will meet swift enforcement before campaign season peaks.
