Manila: Online shops selling illegal vape products have been ordered to remove these from their platforms or face severe penalties, including imprisonment for at least two years or fines of at least PHP2 million.
According to Philippines News Agency, during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program, Department of Trade and Industry Director Eryl Royce Nagtalon, officer-in-charge of DTI's E-commerce Bureau, emphasized the importance of removing all listings of illegal vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products. This initiative aims to ensure consumer safety and enable the government to collect appropriate taxes.
Nagtalon noted that selling unregistered vape products is a violation of the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the Vape Law, and the regulations of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Online selling platforms have been duly informed of the government's directive, with ongoing inter-agency monitoring to ensure compliance.
"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," Nagtalon stated, highlighting the measures in place including spot checks and legal actions under relevant laws.
He further mentioned that the government maintains a database of online businesses under the Internet Transactions Act, allowing them to track online sellers even if they switch platforms.
Lawyer Frediswenda Benas, chief of DTI's E-commerce Enforcement and Compliance Division, revealed during the same briefing that approximately 92,000 listings of illegal vape products have been monitored by the DTI's Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products in the past two years.
Benas pointed out that online platforms are held solidarily liable for illegal items sold on their sites, with potential penalties including up to six years of imprisonment and fines reaching PHP5 million.
