The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered major e-commerce platforms to remove unauthorized Beep card listings. The directive was sent to Carousell, Lazada, Meta Philippines, Shopee, and TikTok after some sellers continued posting despite an earlier warning on August 13.
In a letter dated August 26, DOTr said selling Beep cards online without approval is illegal. It warned that platforms allowing these posts could face legal action. The agency gave a final deadline of August 31 to take down all listings and block future ones.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the government is targeting hoarders and resellers. He defined hoarding as buying more than two cards at once. CCTV cameras will be installed at train stations to catch violators.
Recently, online seller Cateleen Ann Dumondong Manalo was arrested in an entrapment operation. She was caught with 50 Beep cards priced at ₱200 each, well above the official ₱30 price. She now faces charges under several laws, including the Access Devices Regulation Act and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
To help with the shortage, DOTr confirmed that 300,000 new Beep cards were delivered to train stations. The agency said it will continue monitoring online activity and warned that platforms failing to comply will be held accountable.
Source: 1
Featured image from beep.com.ph
