Still no executive order on ‘endo’ – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has not signed the executive order (EO) that will end the practice of job contractualization.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. told reporters that Malacañang could still be threshing out major concerns on the EO, possibly raised by private firms.

“I can only surmise that the final version of the executive order has not been agreed upon by labor, management and government. It’s a tripartite document which has to be agreed upon,” Roque said.

He assured the public that Duterte is keen on issuing the EO, which is meant to stop “endo” or the end of contract scheme being practised by some private employers.

The scheme limits workers’ employment to five months to prevent them from attaining regular status and receiving benefits.

“The President is rather restive about this EO. He has mentioned to me that this is a campaign promise that he wants to deliver to the people very soon,” he said.

Roque said Duterte wanted an EO that would side with labor.

“We all know that Labor Day is on May 1. I would think that it could be released by May 1,” he said, adding Malacañang wants a significant issue like the EO on 'endo' to coincide with a significant occasion like Labor Day.

He said the President wants to recognize the contribution of the labor sector.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has assured workers that efforts would continue for the issuance of the EO.

“We will continue our dialogue with the workers and explain to them the circumstances,” Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod told journalists yesterday.

He said it is difficult, but the DOLE is trying to find a “harmonized” version of the proposed EO.

Maglunsod expressed hope the President would sign the EO on or before Labor Day.

Fight vs ‘endo’ on

With the EO issuance deferred, labor groups yesterday vowed not to give up their fight to put an end to contractualization. Associated Labor Union (ALU) spokesman Alan Tanjusay said labor groups under the Coalition Nagkaisa and Kilusang Mayo Uno would never give up until President Duterte approves the EO.

“To avoid these confusion and deception around the EO and the contractuals from waiting for the fulfillment of the ‘endo’ promise, we urged the President to make a categorical statement, either he keeps his promise or not,” Tanjusay said.

He urged the President to make his position on the EO public and not listen to those vested interests and agents of pro-businesses and pro-capitalists.

In a statement, Nagkaisa said Duterte’s political indecision is hampering efforts to end contractualization.

“The buck stops at the President. A decision has to be made not by his underlings, but by the President himself,” the group said.

Another group, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), said the cancellation of the meeting between the workers’ groups and the President stopped the anti-endo momentum.

PM chairman Renato Magtubo said the campaign against contractualization is getting more confusing. – Mayen Jaymalin