MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte sacked Labor undersecretary Joel Maglunsod, the last left-leaning official in his Cabinet.
The chief executive made the announcement in a speech before rebel returnees in Catarman, Samar Tuesday.
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“Joel Maglunsod pinaalis ko. Pinagbigyan ko sila noong bago,” Duterte said, without elaborating.
Maglunsod was the Labor undersecretary for labor relations, special concerns, regional operations and financial services cluster.
Maglunsod, a former representative for Anakpawis party-list, was among the leftists the president had appointed to government during his first year in office along with former Social Welfare chief Judy Taguiwalo and Agrarian Reform chief Rafael Mariano—both rejected by the Commission on Appointments.
The president designated several left-wing individuals to government positions in a bid to iron out a peace deal with the communist rebels.
But Duterte’s ties with the Jose Maria Sison-led communist insurgents have soured.
Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said Maglunsod was “key DOLE official” in the security of tenure bill and regularization of contractual workers.
“[Maglunsod] was very active in linking labor groups and workers organizations’ concerns and issues to the DOLE, business and employers groups and to the president. [Maglunsod] was always ready to listen and work out solutions to workers in trouble with their employers,” ALU-TUCP said.
Labor group Bukluran Manggagawang Pilipino, for its part, viewed the dismissal of Maglunsod as way to appease the foreign and local capitalists.
“It is evident that the firing of Maglunsod signifies where Duterte’s loyalty really lies,” BMP said.
In the same speech, Duterte slammed labor groups such as the Kilusang Mayo Uno for holding strikes that “will paralyze the economy.”