FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 16, Section 9, provides: 
The State shall protect consumers from trade malpractices and from 
substandard or hazardous products. 
Telemarketing is a recent innovation. Telemarketing means a plan, program, or 
campaign, which is conducted to induce purchase of goods or services by significant use of 
telephones. It differs from other sales activities in that in can be carried out by sellers without 
direct contact. 
Because of its unique character, many consumers are victimized by several forms of 
telemarketing deception and abuse. Thus, Congress should enact legislation that will offer 
consumers necessary protection from telemarketing deception (including fraud) and abuse. 
The purpose of this bill is to strengthen the authority of the Department of Trade and 
Industry regarding fraud committed in connection with sales made with a telephone. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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!
 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO STRENGTHEN THE AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND 
INDUSTRY REGARDING FRAUD COMMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH SALES 
MADE WITH A TELEPHONE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Consumer Protection 
Telemarketing Act of 2008.” 
SECTION 2. Definition. -For purposes of this Act, the term “telemarketing” means a 
plan, program, or campaign which is conducted to induce purchases of goods or services by 
significant use of one (1) or more telephones. The term does not include the solicitation of 
sales through the mailing of a catalog which - 
(A) contains a written description or illustration of the goods or services offered for 
sale; 
(B) includes the business address of the seller; 
(C) includes multiple pages of written material or illustrations; and 
(D) has been issued not less frequently than once a year, where the person making the 
solicitation does not solicit customers by telephone but only receives calls initiated by 
customers in response to the catalog and during those calls takes orders only without further 
solicitation. 
SECTION 3. Telemarketing Rule. - (A) IN GENERAL - 
(1) The Department of Trade and Industry shall prescribe rules prohibiting 
deceptive (including fraudulent) marketing activities and other abusive telemarketing 
activities. 
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(2) The Department shall include in such rules respecting deceptive 
telemarketing activities - 
(a) a definition of deceptive telemarketing activities; and 
(b) criteria that are symptomatic of deceptive telemarketing as distinguished 
from ordinary telemarketing business practices. 
(3) The Department shall include in such rules respecting other abusive 
telemarketing activities a requirement that telemarketers may not undertake a pattern 
of unsolicited telephone calls which the reasonable consumer would consider 
coercive or abusive of such consumer’s right to privacy. In prescribing the rules 
described in this paragraph, the Department shall consider - 
(a) including a requirement that goods or services offered by telemarketing be 
shipped or provided within a specified period and that if the goods or services 
are not shipped or provided within such period, a refund be required, and 
(b) including, where practicable, authority for a person who orders a good or 
service through telemarketing to cancel the order within a specified period. 
(B) RULE-MAKING - The Department shall prescribe the rules under subsection (1) 
within two hundred seventy (270) days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SECTION 4. Action by Private Persons. - Any person adversely affected by any 
pattern or practice of telemarketing which violates any rule of the Department under section 
(3) or an unauthorized person acting on such person’s behalf may, within three (3) years after 
discovery of the violation, bring a civil action against a person who has engaged or is 
engaging in such pattern or practice of telemarketing. Such an action may be brought to 
enjoin such telemarketing, to enforce compliance with any rule of the Department under 
Section 3, to obtain damages, or to obtain such further and other relief as the court may deem 
appropriate. 
SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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Approved, 
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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