Well, that escalated quickly. A bill filed in the Senate aims to penalize people who cancel orders on delivery riders with up to six months of jail time.
Senate Bill 1677, filed by Senator Lito Lapid, will punish individuals who cancel confirmed grocery or food deliveries which have already been paid for by the rider with one to six months of jail time. A person must cancel an order at least thrice in one month to be convicted, and he or she will face a fine not exceeding P100,000, too.
“Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon lalo’t nasa gitna tayo ng pandemya, lahat naman tayo ay gustong kumita. Kaya humahanga tayo sa mga gaya ng service riders na gumagawa ng paraan para kumita sa legal na paraan at malaki pa ang naitutulong nila para hindi na lumabas ng bahay ang ating mga kababayan,” the bill’s author said in a statement.
“Kaya para masiguro na hindi na sila maloloko pa ng mga biglaang pagkansela ng order, dapat masiguro na ang mga umoorder ay magbibigay ng totoong pangalan at address,” Lapid added.
To prevent cancellations from happening, Senate Bill 1677 seeks the implementation of “Know-Your-Customer” (KYC) rules, requiring customers to submit verified proof of identity and residential address.
The bill will also require delivery providers to create a reimbursement scheme that will cover the full amount of a canceled order a rider has paid for. Under this setup, a rider must be reimbursed within one day of a canceled order, and failure of a company to implement this scheme will result in a fine of up to P500,000.
Is this something that should pass? What do you think?
