DTI to e-commerce platforms: Remove illegal vapes or face penalties

ONLINE shops selling illegal vape products have been ordered to remove these from their platforms otherwise, their officials will be imprisoned for at least two years or penalized with at least P2 million.

During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program on Tuesday, August 19, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Director Eryl Royce Nagtalon, officer-in-charge of DTI’s E-commerce Bureau, said the move to remove all listings of illegal vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products is being made to ensure consumer’s safety and for the government to collect proper taxes.

He said selling unregistered vape products violates the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the Vape Law, and the rules and regulations of the Department of Health (DOH), which has been fighting to address smoking, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Nagtalon said online selling platforms have been properly informed of the government’s directive to remove all illegal listings in their shops, and an inter-agency monitoring for compliance is ongoing.

“Ongoing po ang ating monitoring niyan. Mayroon po tayong spot checking, mayroon po tayong mga teams na ready po diyan. And of course, if ever man na sa kasamaang-palad is hindi po sila maka-comply, naka-ready naman ang ating mga legal remedies under the Consumer Act, the Internet Transactions Act and other trade, industry laws (There is ongoing monitoring. We conduct spot checking and have teams for this. If they will still not comply, we are ready with the legal remedies under the Consumer Act, the Internet Transactions Act, and other trade, (and) industry law,” he said.

Nagtalon said the government, under the Internet Transactions Act, has a database of online businesses, so even if the online sellers change sites, the government would still be able to track them.

Lawyer Frediswenda Benas, DTI’s E-commerce Enforcement and Compliance Division chief, during the same briefing, said around 92,000 listings of illegal vape products have been monitored by DTI’s Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products, their Devices, and Novel Tobacco Products (OSMV) in the past two years.

Benas said online platforms are deemed solidary liable for illegal items being sold through their sites, and their officials may be slapped with prison time of at least two years and fines of at least P2 million to as much as six years and P5 million. (PNA)