Senate approves Internet Transactions Act on second reading
By Dhel Nazario
The Senate has approved on second reading the bill that will provide safety mechanisms for all stakeholders involved in e-commerce.
Sen. Mark Villar, the primary sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1846, also known as the Internet Transactions Act of 2023, said that the bill highlights the regulation of e-commerce transactions between digital platforms or e-marketplaces and consumers. This bill also outlines the subsidiary liability of the online merchant or retailer, should it fail to fulfill its responsibilities, as laid down by the bill, to aggrieved consumers.
Once signed into law, the Internet Transactions Act of 2023 will be a regulatory framework for the legal repercussions of online scams and it will provide safety measures for both consumers and merchants participating in digital transactions.
“Through our successful collaboration with other senators, the amendments presented and adopted to the Internet Transactions Act ensures the utmost safeguard for both the consumers and merchants engaged in digital transactions,” Villar said.
“Sa pamamagitan ng ITA, mabibigyan natin ng assurance ang mga users at retailers na sila ay mayroon ng proteksyon laban sa online scams (Through the ITA, we can assure our users and retailers that they are protected against online scams),” he added.
Villar maintains a hopeful disposition on the passing of the ITA as he believes that it will be extremely helpful not just for the regulation of e-commerce transactions but also for the welfare of consumers.
“The success of the recent session on the amendments of the bill shows the dedication of our senators in ensuring that it passes into law. Hopefully, we see through the process successfully. Ito ay magiging malaking tulong para sa mga consumers, lalo na sa mga biktima ng mga e-commerce scams and fraud transactions (This will be a big help to our consumers, especially to the victims of e-commerce scams and fraud transactions),” Villar said.
“Through the ITA, masisigurado na natin na walang lugar ang mga scammers sa bagong Pilipinas (we will make sure that there will be no place for scammers in the new Philippines),” he added.