House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo assailed three major online platforms in the country for failing to comply with certain Philippine laws.
In a congressional investigation conducted by the House Committee on Trade and Industry chaired by Iloilo Ferjenel Biron, Tulfo slammed Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok for selling small appliances that lack Product Standard (PS) stickers.
Tulfo stressed “PS stickers are important because that’s where you know the product you bought at DTI has been tested and is safe to use.”
He added, “These items are cheap because apart from the fact that they come from China, they are not sure the quality. In short…fake.”
The congressional investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by the Small Appliance Manufacturers of the Philippines, led by its president Carol Yao, regarding the rampant sale of counterfeit and unsafe small appliances from China.
The group called for fair competition for Filipino manufacturers and the 300,000 employees they represent against the unfair online selling of foreign products by the three online platforms.
For his part, Biron supported the complaint of the small appliance manufacturers, emphasizing that these companies must comply with Philippine laws.
“We want to ensure that every Filipino business competes a level playing field. Let us fight for fairness, for justice, and for the future of our industries and our people,” Biron stated.
It was revealed during the hearing that products sold to local consumers through online platforms are not being taxed, in line with the newly enacted Republic Act (RA) 11967.
