Sen. JV Ejercito on Uber-Grab Merger in Southeast Asia

I welcome the decision of the Philippine Competition Commission to investigate Grab's acquisition of its rival, Uber. I also welcome similar moves by similar regulatory agencies in Malaysia and Singapore.

I am worried that the deal will be extremely detrimental to commuters because the merger will create a monopoly in the ride-sharing sector which has become very popular as a means to address transportation shortage and problems in the Philippines. With Grab capturing 80% of the market with this merger, the market will virtually eliminate any form of competition thereby increasing the possibility of riders paying higher fares, and diminished incentives to improve services.

We need to protect our commuters by offering improvements-in terms of quantity and quality-in transportation instead of limiting their choices. I hope the PCC will prioritize public welfare over corporate interests.