Senators Pangilinan, Mark Villar push passage of Anti-Ticket Scalping bill amid BTS ticket controversy

Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Mark Villar on Monday renewed calls for the immediate passage of the proposed Anti-Ticket Scalping Act amid reports of BTS concert tickets being resold at steeply inflated prices online.

Pangilinan said the surge in resale prices underscores the need to fast-track Senate Bill No. 1989, which seeks to explicitly prohibit ticket scalping and protect consumers from exploitative resale practices.

“Batay sa mga nakarating na reports sa ating opisina, halos isang dekada na naghihintay ang BTS fans na magkaroon muli ng concert dito sa atin. Hindi tama na pagsamantalahan ang pananabik at paghihintay na ito ng mga scalpers,” he said.

Online posts from BTS fans, also called ARMY, showed tickets for the group’s upcoming “World Tour Arirang Concert” being resold at prices ranging from P30,000 to P90,000. VIP Soundcheck tickets were also listed at P25,000, while Bleachers 2 seats were reportedly sold for P7,500.

The measure proposes penalties for scalping, including fines and imprisonment, escalating from P100,000 or six months for first offense up to P500,000 or three years for repeated violations. 

It also seeks to regulate ticketing platforms and strengthen monitoring against bots, fake accounts, and other automated systems used to hoard tickets.

Pangilinan said legitimate fans are being deprived of fair access despite efforts to queue and purchase tickets through official channels. “Lumalaban sila nang tama at patas, pero ninanakaw ng mga scalper ang oportunidad nilang makita ang mga iniidolo nila,” he said.

Villar, who has long pushed versions of the same measure in previous Congresses, said scalping has become a persistent consumer issue that requires stronger legal safeguards.

He said Senate Bill No. 1989 would cap resale prices at no more than 10 percent above face value and penalize not only scalpers but also the use of bots and other digital tools used to manipulate ticket sales.

“Napapanahon na ang pagkakaroon ng isang komprehensibong batas laban sa ticket scalping,” Villar said.

The BTS concert is scheduled for March 13 and 14, 2027, at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan, with each show expected to draw about 25,000 attendees.