BAGONG Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera has refiled a bill seeking to protect delivery riders from fraudulent bookings and penalizing customers who cancel confirmed orders on e-commerce platforms like Grab, Lazada and Shopee.
House Bill No. 1010, or the proposed “Magna Carta of E-Commerce Delivery Personnel,” seeks to ensure the safety and welfare of independent delivery contractors by promoting cashless payment for home deliveries and penalizing cancellation of cash on delivery or COD transactions.
“In order to increase efficiency and protect the welfare of delivery riders whose lives are put at stake to keep us safe within our homes, this bill seeks to provide more secure measures to these service providers and penalize those who unreasonably and inconveniently cancel their orders upon delivery,” the bill said.
Herrera’s bill seeks to prohibit the cancellation by any customer of confirmed orders upon delivery and penalizes violators with a jail term of one to three months and a fine ranging from P10,000 to P50,000.
“It shall be unlawful for any customer to cancel confirmed orders if the items have already been paid by the delivery rider, is in possession of the delivery driver, or in transit to the customer,” it said.
Those found guilty of any of the two prohibited acts shall also reimburse the online seller and delivery service provider for the value of the item and delivery service fee. The amount of the reimbursement will be twice the cost of confirmed order and delivery fee pertaining to the cancellation.
The bill likewise imposes harsher penalties for those who shall post their cancellations on social media for purposes of pranking, gaining popularity or notoriety, and vlogging, among others.
This carries the penalty of imprisonment of one to three years and a fine of P100,000 to P150,000, as well as payment of damages to the seller or delivery service provider. Such damages shall be in the amount determined by the court and must be accompanied by a public apology.
