Palace: Can’t take it against employees if no ride provided to go to work

MANILA, Philippines — It is not the workers’ fault if they cannot report to their jobs due to the lack of mass transportation or company shuttles, Malacañang said Monday.

“Tingin ko hindi naman po (I don’t think it is),” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing when asked if it is the employee’s fault should he fail to report to work in case the company fails to provide any shuttle.

Roque reiterated that companies in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) should provide shuttle services or housing near the workplace if they plan to resume partial operations.

“IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] naman po nagsabi, kinakailangan magprovide ng shuttle o di kaya patirahin na malapit sa factory or place of business ang mga manggagawa. So kung wala po talaga silang masasakyan, I don’t think that can be taken against the employee,” Roque said.

(It was IATF who said that companies should provide shuttle or housing near the place of business to employees. If they cannot find any transportation to work, I don’t think that can be taken against the employee.)

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier said that while transportation must be resolved within a company, he warned that an employee refusing to report to work might risk job loss.

Lopez added that it “does not reflect well” on the employee’s character.

Earlier, Malacañang advised employers and business owners not to resume operations if they cannot provide transportation to their employees. Metro Manila, Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, and Angeles City in Pampanga were placed under MECQ on Saturday, May 16 until May 31.

Under a modified ECQ setup, several businesses may resume partial operations provided that health protocols are observed.