50 beep cards seized in Pasig; seller nabbed

Authorities have seized 50 beep cards illegally sold online in Pasig City, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) said Tuesday.

In a statement, PNP-ACG said a 32-year-old woman was also arrested on Friday, Aug. 15, for unauthorized and overpriced selling of beep cards.

She is facing charges for violating the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998, as amended by the Access Devices Regulation Act and the Consumer Act of the Philippines, both in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

“The illegal sale of Beep cards not only violates consumer protection laws but also exploits commuters who rely on them daily,” PNP-ACG acting director Brigadier General Bernard Yang said.

“The PNP-ACG will continue to crack down on individuals who engage in such unlawful online activities to protect the public from abuse and deception,” he added.

The Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) management earlier warned commuters against an online page that sells bogus beep cards that falsely provide unlimited rides to its users.

"The public is advised that recent postings advertising the sale of beep cards with unlimited rides, circulating under the Facebook page 'Manila Metro' are fake and unauthorized by MRT-3," the DOTr MRT-3 said in advisory.

"These online advertisements, often posted on suspicious social media pages, are not legitimate and may be part of a scam designed to trick individuals," MRT-3 said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) had announced that some 300,000 additional regular beep cards will be available in August to address the shortage affecting commuters in Metro Manila.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the cards will be distributed across Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3, and Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to resolve the scarcity that has caused long queues and inconvenience to passengers. — BAP, GMA Integrated News