Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 19) — Senator Mark Villar on Wednesday said he will push for Senate approval of the bill seeking to create an e-commerce bureau when the 19th Congress opens its second regular session next week.
Villar is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship where Senate Bill 1846, or the proposed Internet Transactions Act (ITA), was referred to.
\”Malaking bagay ‘yan dahil iba na ‘yung ekonomiya, digital economy tayo ngayon. Marami tayong transaction online at kailangan natin bigyan nag protection ang ating online consumers,\” he said in a media forum.
[Translation: It’s very important because we now have a digital economy. We have lots of transactions online and we need to protect our online consumers.]
\”Ito ay kasama sa priorities ni President BBM at pagbalik namin sa session, ipu-push ko na ‘yung ITA para maging batas na.\”
[Translation: This is among the priorities of President Bongbong Marcos and once we resumed session, I will push for the ITA for it to become law.]
Marcos mentioned in his first State of the Nation Address last year that the ITA is among the administration’s priority measures.
The bill aims to require digital platforms and online merchants to register their businesses with the proposed E-Commerce Bureau.
The bureau shall also receive and address consumer complaints on internet transactions.
Under the bill, the Department of Trade and Industry secretary has the authority to take down or ban online platforms, especially if the products or services are classified as dangerous.
