Philippines: Issued ruling in PCC investigation into Grab for alleged non-compliance with price monitoring commitments

On 2 February 2023, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) fined Grab Holdings PHP 9 million (ca. USD 157'201) for failing to comply with three refund orders totalling PHP 25.45 million (ca. USD 444'355), linked to its price monitoring commitment. Grab made the price monitoring commitment as part of the "Extended Undertaking" from its acquisition of Uber in 2018. The refund orders were issued between November 2019 and October 2020, each with a 60-day compliance deadline. Grab faced a PHP 6 million penalty (ca. USD 308'603) for non-compliance and a PHP 3 million fine (ca. USD 154'301) for providing misleading information in its compliance reports, which falsely claimed refunds had been completed. The PCC also mandated Grab to establish an alternative refund mechanism to facilitate remaining claims and to enhance customer awareness of the refund process.