Palace calls for end to finger-pointing over 'endo' bill veto

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Thursday called for an end to finger-pointing over the vetoing of the security of tenure bill and urged the public to be open to suggestions that would benefit both workers and employers. 

Labor groups and some lawmakers have criticized President Rodrigo Duterte's rejection of the bill, which would have removed ambiguities that allowed employers to sidestep laws banning labor-only contracting.

READ: Senators unhappy, confused over Duterte's rejection of 'End Endo' bill

Supporters of the measure have accused Duterte of siding with businesses and reneging on his promise to ban illegal contractualization.

The president, however, said Congress should have stuck to what was agreed upon on the security of tenure bill and should not have expanded its scope.

Some are also blaming the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office for the veto, saying the office had failed to coordinate with lawmakers.

READ: Why Duterte vetoed the anti-endo bill

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo expressed belief that the blame game on the security of tenure bill would not yield anything good. 

"Blaming, finger-pointing, let's not do it anymore. Let's be open. If we think we had shortcomings, let's compensate for it. But it doesn’t mean that the members of the Senate or the House...were not in support of the President. Neither does it mean that they don’t have the interest at heart of the working class," Panelo said in a press briefing. 

"What we’re saying is, no matter how good we are, there may be occasions that we might not see what others can. So that’s precisely why I said, ‘let’s be open to suggestions,’" he added. 

Panelo said the Labor department has drafted a new bill and expressed hope that lawmakers would support it. He reiterated that the president wants to strike a balance between the welfare of workers and the interests of employers. 

"He’s (Duterte) making a balancing act — weighing the interest of management and the working class... We have to educate ourselves, each one of us. Let us go for what is more beneficial to the country," he added. 

READ: Upsetting key campaign promise, Duterte officially vetoes anti-endo bill

Panelo also defended the PLLO from critics who claimed that the office has been remiss in its duty to work with Congress for the passage of priority bills. 

"Even if you coordinate the bill you want and the senators prefer another measure, what can you do?" the presidential spokesman said.   

"Their (PLLO) job is to coordinate with Congress. They bring the bills and say, 'Here's the agenda of the president, these are the bills that we hope will be passed.' That's their job. They cannot dictate on the members of the Senate or the House of Representatives," he added. 

READ: What's next for anti-endo bill after Duterte's veto?

Panelo stressed that the bill submitted to the president contained provisions that were absolute with regard to labor contracting. 

"There should be exceptions because it will affect investors," he said.