MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday reminded Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate that policy-making is a legislative action, after the latter described as “useless” the signing of the executive order strengthening employees’ security of tenure.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque reminded Zarate that President Rodrigo R. Duterte is well aware that his executive order could only do so much since Congress needs to amend the Labor Code.
“That’s why PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) reiterated the need for legislation. Policy-making is legislative. Executive is implementation,” Roque said.
Zarate slammed the executive order to end illegal contracting or subcontracting signed by Duterte, noting that there needs to be a “policy” that bans all forms of contracting.
“The EO signed is useless because the ban on labor-only contracting is already in the Labor Code. What we need is to release a policy that will ban all forms of job contracting,” Zarate said in a statement.
Duterte, in a speech delivered in Cebu City, said that although an executive order could help “alleviate” the problems, he needs Congress to make changes in the provisions of the Labor Code.
“In order to implement an effective and lasting solution to problems brought about by contractualization, Congress needs to enact a law amending the Labor Code,” Duterte said.
“A mere executive order can only do so much because you have to change or modify or entirely aggregate some of the provisions,” he added. (Azer Parrocha/PNA)
