‘Endo’ bill still a priority of Duterte – PLLO chief

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Secretary Adelino Sitoy meet with lawmakers on Monday, August 5, 2019, in Malacañang for the pre-Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council. Photo from Sen. Christopher Go

MANILA, Philippines — The Security of Tenure bill (SOT), which was vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 26, was again made a priority legislative agenda of his administration.

Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) head Adelino Sitoy confirmed this to reporters in a phone patch interview on Monday night.

“Yes, now. It’s our priority,” Sitoy said, referring to the SOT.

“The endo bill will be refiled and it was mentioned. I think it was already refiled yung sa endo. There are already bills refiled and it will be tackled, it will be tackled,” he added.

Sitoy, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and lawmakers met on Monday in Malacañang for the pre-Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council meeting.

“We have ironed out the details in order to avoid a veto,” he said.

Among the priority bills, Sitoy said, are the coco levy, national land use act, and the revival of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).

In his veto message, Duterte said he vetoed the SOT because it would “unduly broaden the scope and definition of prohibited labor-only contracting.”

READ: Duterte vetoes Security of Tenure bill

Sitoy said federalism, a campaign promise of Duterte, was not tackled during the meeting.

“No [not discussed],” he said when asked if federalism was taken up.

In a speech on June 25, Duterte has publicly declared he is no longer inclined to push for federalism to purportedly break the Manila-centric government in the country.

READ: Duterte: If you do not want federalism fine but change the Constitution

During the presidential elections, Duterte vowed to push for federalism, which he said would break the Manila-centric government in the Philippines.