MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the Executive Order (EO) against all forms of illegal contractualization signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday, Labor Day, would be the guide of Congress in drafting a bill that will revise the labor laws.
“It will be the guide of the legislative in drafting a measure that will revise the Labor Code,” said Undersecretary Joel Maglungsod in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
He noted that the EO is the version of the President and not by the employers or labor groups. “It’s the version of President Duterte,” he said.
The order was read by DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III before the Chief Executive and thousands of workers at the IC3 Pavilion in Cebu City, where the main event of the Labor Day celebration was held.
“The workers were happy. It’s better that we have an EO signed, it’s better than nothing,” said Maglungsod, who is also in Cebu.
Maglungsod said the President is standing pat on his earlier statement, that he will certify as urgent the security of tenure measure which is pending before the Senate.
“The President is pushing for the passage of the security of tenure bill,” he added.
Meanwhile, an official of a labor organization said they will use the EO signed by Duterte to advance their advocacy in the Senate.
“The President could have done more but we will use the presidential ordinance to advance our advocacy in the Senate and to strictly implement existing labor laws and standards in the inspection and monitoring in the workplace,” said Federation of Free Workers president Sonny Matula in a statement.
“More legalistic in tone but we can use it in advocacy for legislative reforms in the Senate,” he added. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
