A scalper from Singapore, caught selling Olivia Rodrigo concert tickets for P23,000 each, was apprehended outside the Philippine Arena on Saturday. Despite being taken into custody, the scalper was not arrested due to the lack of a local ordinance against scalping in Bocaue, Bulacan.
According to Bocaue Chief of Police P/Lt. Col. Manuel De Vera, the scalper has a history of attending concerts to resell tickets at higher prices. “Lahat ng concert, pinupuntahan niya para kumita,” De Vera said, adding that the individual is allegedly a businessman.
Olivia Rodrigo fan Killa Kush, who purchased two tickets from the scalper for P46,000, encountered the scalper at the police station before heading to the venue. “Pagdating ko doon, andun siya kasama ‘yung mga police,” she recalled. At the police’s request, the scalper returned the money via bank transfer and handed over the tickets.
Kush initially offered to pay P1,500 for each ticket as a form of compensation, but the police intervened. “Masama talaga ‘yung ginawa niya,” she was told by authorities, as the tickets were being resold to others for as much as P15,000.
While there is currently no ordinance against scalping in Bocaue, Vice Mayor Atty. Sherwin Tugna stated that they are working to pass a similar law. “Bukas pag-uusapan namin ito sa sangguniang bayan ng Bocaue to protect the consumers,” he said.
The Olivia Rodrigo concert, part of her “Guts” world tour, featured tickets priced at a flat rate of P1,500, with proceeds benefiting Jhpiego, a nonprofit supporting women’s healthcare in the Philippines.
