Duterte may tweak ‘endo’ bill

President Duterte may consider Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia’s suggestion that the security of tenure bill needed “tweaking” to make it fair to both business and labor.

The bill, aimed at ending “endo,” or job contractualization, is set to lapse into law by July 27 if not acted upon by the President.

“If the President feels that the observations of Secretary Pernia [are] a good reason to vetoing the bill … it’s the President’s call if he will heed Pernia’s suggestion,” said presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

“After all, if you veto the bill, members of Congress can always introduce amendments or pass another bill for the signature of the President.”

Pernia had earlier said some provisions of the bill needed to be revised to make it fair to both employers and employees.

The bill, he said, must benefit both sectors “because if you want jobs to be available, you need investments.”

Business groups have opposed the measure, claiming it would affect the economy and even the employees.

“You have to look for a win-win solution. Whatever the business sector is opposing, we can reach a compromise. So if he will veto the bill, then a member of Congress can introduce another one with a win-win compromise solution. Everybody happy,” Panelo said.

“What I’m saying is the President is always open to suggestion, he rationalizes. If he feels that signing the law will create not beneficial effects on the major players, he might consider vetoing it. But if he does not feel that way, he will sign that into law.”