Campaign promise to end ‘endo’ no longer a priority, says Duterte adviser

In September 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte certified urgent a Senate bill ensuring security of tenure, a campaign promise to workers who have been protesting for years against contractualization that employers use to evade regularizing and giving full benefits to their workers. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer).

MANILA, Philippines — Putting an end to the practice of “endo,” or labor contractualization, may have been one of the campaign promises of President Rodrigo Duterte, but one year before he bows out of office, this is no longer a priority of his administration.

So said Duterte’s presidential legislative assistant Jacinto “Jing” Paras, who has just been appointed concurrent adviser for political affairs.

Paras said the proposed “endo” (end of contractualization) law is currently not high in Duterte’s list of priorities, especially after he vetoed the Security of Tenure bill in 2019 amid a strong lobby by business groups, citing its potentially adverse impact on the Philippine economy and employment.

“Because of the controversy when the President vetoed it, all the sectors have not been voicing out their opinions on this even the Department of Labor [and Employment]. So medyo hindi naging priority ito ngayon,” Paras said Thursday during an online Palace briefing when asked of the status of the Security of Tenure bill.

“If you look at the reason why the President vetoed it, it was because it was not able to resolve the conflict between the labor and the management. Yun po. Maybe in due time, I think that’s still important proposed legislation,” he added.

In his veto message, Duterte then said the proposed law “unduly broadens the scope and definition of prohibited labor-only contracting, effectively proscribing forms of contractualization that are not particularly unfavorable to the employees involved.”

“Indeed, while labor-only contracting must be prohibited, legitimate job-contracting should be allowed, provided that the contractor is well capitalized, has sufficient investments and affords its employees all the benefits provided for under the labor laws,” the President further said.

Meanwhile, Paras said the President’s priority bills include the measure creating a separate department for migrant workers and overseas Filipinos.

Paras added Duterte is also looking forward to seeing a “resolution” on whether to extend the Bangsamoro transition.

The fourth package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, the Public Service Act and the Foreign Investment Act are also the President’s priority, said Paras.

Duterte is set to deliver his last State of the Nation Address on July 26.

EDV