Senator Mark Villar on Wednesday stressed the need to legislate a measure that would provide safety nets to those involved in electronic commerce.

Villar is the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 1846, also known as the Internet Transactions Act of 2023, which was approved by the Senate in its second reading following the period of individual amendments in the plenary session.

"Through our successful collaboration with other senators, the amendments presented and adopted to the Internet Transactions Act ensure the utmost safeguard for both the consumers and merchants engaged in digital transactions," Villar said.

SB 1846 highlights the regulation of e-commerce transactions between digital platforms or e-marketplaces and consumers.

The proposed measure also outlines the subsidiary liability of the online merchant or retailer, should it fail to fulfill its responsibilities, as laid down by the bill, to aggrieved consumers.

Once enacted, Villar said the measure would protect e-commerce users and retailers against online scams.

He said the SB 1846 "will be extremely helpful" not just for the regulation of e-commerce transactions but also for the welfare of consumers.

"The success of the recent session on the amendments of the bill shows the dedication of our senators in ensuring that it passes into law. Hopefully, we see through the process successfully. Ito ay magiging malaking tulong para sa mga consumers, lalo na sa mga biktima ng mga e-commerce scams and fraud transactions," Villar stressed.

The bill is pending the approval of the Senate in its third and final reading.

Once signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Villar said the measure will become the "regulatory framework on the legal repercussions of online scams and it will provide safety measures for both consumers and merchants participating in digital transactions."