ON THE EVE of Labor Day's celebration, Malacañang once again gave hope to the labor sector as it raised the possibility of an executive order (EO) imposing a ban on all forms of illegal contractualization.
The EO's fate would depend on the outcome of a meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on the afternoon of Monday, April 29, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. in a press conference.
"Later, Secretary Bello and the President will have a meeting for whatever may be released tomorrow in Cebu," Roque told Palace reporters.
Duterte is expected to grace the 116th Labor Day Celebration in Mabolo, Cebu City on Tuesday, May 1.
"I can confirm that there might be an EO that may or may not be signed, depending on their meeting tonight," he added.
This developed amid Roque's flip-flopping remark on the possible EO.
Roque announced on April 16 that Duterte was expected to fulfill his campaign promise to sign an EO "that will side with the labor force" on Labor Day, or May 1.
But three days later, the Palace official revealed that Duterte had heeded Bello's proposal to no longer ink an EO and just let Congress resolve the problem by amending the country's Labor Code.
Under Articles 106 to 109 of Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines, employers are allowed to enter into contractual arrangements with their employees.
The recent pronouncement that Duterte would no longer sign the EO has irked labor groups, who have long been asking the President to totally prohibit the unfair practice of short-term and unprotected temporary work arrangements in the country.
On April 27, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) hinted of a slim chance that Duterte may reconsider the issuance of the EO, which would be a "great gift" to contractual workers on Labor Day.
Duterte has yet to live up to his pledge to stop all illegal forms of contractualization.
Contracting and subcontracting arrangements are still allowed in the country, as provided under Dole's Department Order 174 signed on March 16, 2017. (VoxPop Philippines)
