The House Committee on Trade and Industry has approved a consolidated version of the "Internet Transactions Bill".
Batangas 5th district Rep. Mario Mariño presided over the panel hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 24, with the agenda of deliberating over 12 House bills (HBs) all pertaining to Internet transactions.
These measures seek to regulate transactions (including the sale of goods, ride hailing, digital media, and digital finance or banking services) within the eCommerce industry as a means to provide protection to both online consumers and merchants.
It also mandates the creation of an “eCommerce Bureau” to enforce the bill’s provisions.
Valenzuela City 1st district Rep. Rex Gatchalian initially motioned to approve the bills through Section 48 of the House Rules as he explained that the measures were a priority of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Section 48 of the House Rules refers to Bills and Resolutions Favorably Acted Upon. It reads: “In case of bills or resolutions that are identified as priority measures of the House, which were previously filed in the immediately preceding Congress and have been approved on 3rd reading, the same may be disposed of as matters already reported upon the approval of majority of the Members of the committee present, there being a quorum.”
Baguio City lone district Rep. Mark Go moved to amend Gatchalian’s motion to instead consolidate all 12 HBs with a bill that was approved on third and final reading during the previous 18th Congress, which Mariño approved.
Go was referring to the proposed ‘Internet Transactions’ Act, or HB 7805 of the 18th Congress. It was principally authored by former Deputy Speaker and Valenzuela City Rep. Wes Gatchalian.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/24/house-approves-internet-transactions-act/
These are the 12 pieces of legislation deliberated upon during the Aug. 24 hearing which now constitute the consolidated, currently unnumbered bill:
HB 4 (Authored byHouse Speaker Rep. Martin Romualdez, Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Romualdez and Jude Acidre)
HB 687 (Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda)
HB 779 (Gatchalia)
HB 2599 (Aklan 1st district Rep. Carlito Marquez)
HB 2858 (Yap, Quezon City 2nd district Rep. Ralph Tulfo, ACT-CIS Reps. Edvic Yap, Jocelyn Tulfo, and Jeffrey Soriano.
HB 2929 (Cagayan 3rd district Rep. Joseph Lara)
HB 3011 (Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez)
HB 3050 (Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte)
HB 3084 (Quezon City 1st district Rep. Arjo Atayde)
HB 3149 (Bulacan 5th district Rep. Ambrosio Cruz)
HB 3422 (Ilocos Sur 2nd district Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan)
HB 3564 (Southern Leyte 2nd district Rep. Christopherson Yap)
Go further moved to include all members present at the hearing as co-authors.