Kiko urges NBI probe on ticket scalpers ahead of BTS, SB19 concerts

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the illegal operations of scalpers peddling concert tickets at astronomical rates.

Speaking at a Senate hearing on Monday, Pangilinan called attention to alleged syndicates who bypass ticketing queueing systems to purchase in-demand concert tickets, which are resold in the black market with mark ups of as much as 4,000%.

The senator, who posted a social media clip of his call on Tuesday, said scalpers abuse Filipinos who only want to enjoy music and see their idols.

"Mahigit isang taon na bago ang pagdating ng BTS at dalawang buwan bago ang concert ng SB19. Nagkakandarapa ang mga Army at mga A'Tin sa paghahanap ng ticket na siya namang sinasamantala ng mga scalpers, scammers, at kamadang sindikato," Pangilinan said at a Senate hearing Monday on the proposed Anti-Ticket Scalping Act.

(More than one year after BTS arrives and two months before SB19 has their concerts. Army and A’Tin are scrambling to find tickets and there are many scalpers, scammers, and syndicates are taking advantage.)

During the hearing, concerns were raised over the resale of P10,000-BTS concert tickets for more than P374,000.

It was also mentioned that tickets for the Olivia Rodrigo in Manila concert last October—which the Filipino-American singer uniformly priced at about P1,500—were resold by scalpers at sky-high prices.

"Ticket companies have a queuing system and the scalpers somehow manage to bypass this. We don't know how. But they're able to buy, like, not just one transaction but multiple transactions," said LiveNationPH Ticketing Manager Anne Remulla.

"We set a limit to the number of tickets, like, for example, four tickets per buyer, and somehow, after they buy four in one transaction, they're able to still log in, buy again. So there will be [a] multiple number of tickets in so many transactions," she added.

Pangilinan said ticket scalping seems to be orchestrated by a handful of criminals in the country.

"There's no other way to explain it, but somebody is gaming the system… Kawawa ang ating mamimili. Kaya kailangan nating hanapan [ng solusyon]… Kung wala pa yung batas, kaya natin pinapasa itong batas," the senator said.

(There's no other way to explain it, but somebody is gaming the system… Our consumers are so pitiful. This is why we need to look [for a solution]… If there are no laws yet, we need to pass this law.)

Senate Bill 2873, which seeks to penalize ticket scalpers, was earlier filed at the Senate in December 2024.

Senator Mark Villar, who authored the proposed measure, said the bill was filed to "protect consumers from exploitation and guarantee fair access to events of their favorite artists or performers."

The filing came months after the Olivia Rodrigo concert, where a scalper from Singapore was arrested for reselling a ticket for P23,000. — VDV, GMA Integrated News