PCC boosts mandate against anti-competition practices

Antitrust watchdog Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is strengthening its mandate to curb anti-competitive practices and maintain market competition.

“The Philippine Competition Commission is really intent on stopping and curtailing cartel conduct,” PCC Assistant Director for Competition Enforcement Ferdinand Redulla said in a statement on Friday.

Redulla noted the PCC can order disgorgement, null contracts, and mete out fines and penalties for violations of the Philippine Competition Law, with administrative fines of at least P100 million for first offense.

“The fines are huge because they are really designed to deter anti-competitive acts, including abuse of dominant position conducts prescribed in the law,” he said.

To boost its position in fighting cartels and businesses engaged in anti-competitive practice, the commission has sent a battery of lawyers and economists for training in Bali, Indonesia.

The delegation was composed of economists Philip Libre, Gian Camacho, Angelo Santos, Shanti Aubren Prado, and lawyers Jessica Co, Melbourne Pana, Christian de los Santos, Alyssa Carmelli Castillo and Graciela Base.

According to the antitrust body, the delegates went through intensive training on cartel detection and investigation through case studies, analyses, and scenario-based activities.

"In conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Office For Competition (DOJ-OFC), the PCC is now at the forefront of pro-competition," Redulla said.

The processes and challenges of detecting and investigating cartels in the country were discussed in synergy with international competition experts from Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.

“They shared their real-life experiences as an agency in terms of how they were able to do it from start to finish. They were able to give us working templates that we can adopt and exchange in market studies,” Redulla said.

"The said international competition authorities, for example, cited cement industry cartels in other jurisdictions that were successfully investigated and prosecuted for possible abuse of dominant position around the world," he added.

Supported by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, the Competition Law Implementation Program provides specialized training for ASEAN member-states focusing on practical skills and exchange of intelligence. — Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News