Senator Kiko Pangilinan called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to take decisive action against individuals and groups using automated bots to hoard concert tickets for resale at exorbitant prices, urging authorities to “make an example” of offenders to deter future abuses.
The chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights made the challenge during the hearing of his Senate Bill No. 226, or the “Anti-Ticket Scalping Act,” by the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, jointly with Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, and Finance.
Pangilinan lamented how bot-enabled purchases of concert tickets prevent Filipino fans from having equal access to the experience of seeing their “idols”.
“May digital footprints na ito.”
“May digital footprints na ito. Meron kayong cybercrime division. So, ang challenge ko sa NBI, sampulan naman ninyo,” the veteran legislator told the NBI, stressing that the bureau could go after these scalpers pending the enactment of a measure on the anti-ticket scalping.
“Yung pag-purchase ng tickets online gumagamit ng mga bots. So kung considered as cybercrime ‘yun under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, meron kayong pwedeng kasuhan. Meron nang basis to proceed with at least investigating itong bot-enabled purchases,” the seasoned lawmaker stressed.
The senator’s remarks come amid growing public frustration over how quickly major concert tickets sell out, with many fans saying tickets are bought within minutes—only to appear online at much higher prices.
One such example of how concert tickets were inflated because of scalpers was Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour, where a flat rate of P1,500 was originally set for tickets but high demand led to the resale of tickets for as much as P10,000 to P20,000.
He also urged ticketing companies and event organizers to improve their cybersecurity measures, including improved bot detection, stricter purchase limits, and stronger identity verification processes.
“All the more na mahalaga na protektahan natin ‘yung mga consuming public—na they go to great extents to be able to watch and enjoy these concerts. Tapos mangyayari sila ay sinasamantala,” Pangilinan said.
“It is oppressive and exploitative.”
“It is oppressive and exploitative, and that’s why this hearing is being called. Kaya natin nais ayusin,” he added.
Pangilinan’s proposed SBN 226 aims to serve as a comprehensive national law to explicitly ban ticket scalping.
Penalties for ticket scalping under the proposed measure will be as follows: P100,000 or imprisonment of six months or both for the first offense; P250,000 or imprisonment of one year or both for the second offense; and P500,000 or imprisonment of three years or both for the third offense.
