Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to implement practical measures to strengthen consumer protection laws.

He made the appeal during the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship’s hearing on Dec. 17, addressing the rise of scams, fake products, and unfair trade practices.

As chair of the committee reviewing proposed amendments to the Consumer Act of the Philippines and Price Act, Cayetano emphasized the need for more effective measures to restore consumer confidence.

“More than 30 years na rin pala [since the Consumer Act and Price Act were enacted into law]. [Outdated na kasi] noong 1992, halos wala pa ring e-commerce noon,” the lawmaker from Taguig said.

Discussing the prevalence of counterfeit goods and scams, Cayetano outlined steps the DTI and DA could take to combat modern deceptive practices.

He suggested involving the media in enforcement raids to set an example for violators and show that no one is exempt from the law, as well as amending the law to impose appropriate penalties and ensure swift convictions.

“The science behind criminology is the certainty of being caught; that’s key. So for example, kapag may death penalty tayo pero wala namang nahuhuli, kumpara sa isang linggong kulong pero nahuhuli lahat, mas takot ang tao sa isang linggong kulong,” according to him.

Under the current Consumer Act, penalties for deceptive or unfair sales practices range from P5,000 to P10,000 in fines and/or five months to one year in prison.

Cayetano also called for better coordination between agencies to prevent the spread of unscrupulous activities.

“Sa Singapore at Hong Kong, kapag complain mo, hindi ka lang agad pupuntahan ng pulis, isa-stop din agad ang payment. It’s done in a few hours,” he said.

“They also got the banks, police, and telcos in one room, at sila na nag-uusap kung ano pwede o hindi. I don’t know ano ang version natin, but I do know na napakagagaling ng barangay officials, LGUs, and police natin when they coordinate as one.”IMT