Maybe not everyone noticed that there was an attempt (Senate Bill 2464) to enact a Philippine “Lemon Law,” which is intended to provide protection for buyers of motor vehicles that turn out to be defective. The Senate Bill sought to promote full protection to the rights of consumers in the sale of motor vehicles against sales and trade practices which are deceptive, unfair, or otherwise inimical to consumers and the public interest.

A motor vehicle is considered a lemon if it is unfit, unreliable, or unsafe for ordinary use. Under the lemon law, a car is a lemon if during the Lemon Law Rights period the said car: 1) has been subject to repair three or more times, yet the same non-conformity continues to exist; 2) the non-conformity is a serious safety defect and has been subject to repair one or more times; or 3) is out of service due to repair for a cumulative total of 30 calendar days. The law would ensure that car manufacturers or dealers would fulfill the warranties on their vehicles. If a car turned out to be defective or a lemon, the buyer would be able to get a full refund or a replacement.

You could discuss this here, but maybe it’s better to discuss selected pending bills in the Senate and House of Representatives at the Discuss-a-Bill feature of LawCenter.ph. Everyone can – and is encouraged – to submit and discuss congressional bills that would be of interest to everyone.

Anyway, while we’re at it, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago filed a bill to amend the Anti-Hazing Law, seeking to penalize the failure to report acts of hazing. The amendment contained in Senate Bill No. 1210 proposes to incorporate a new subsection in Republic Act No. 8049.