Bello seeks SEC, NBI help in probing PLDT contractors

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has sought the help of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in looking into the operations of the 38 service contractors tapped by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) after receiving reports that these are either owned or managed by “high-ranking” officials of the telecom giant. This developed as PLDT continued to defy the Department of Labor and Employment’s (Dole) compliance order, issued in April, mandating the company to grant 7,306 workers regular employment status. Bello said on Wednesday that they decided to seek the help of the SEC and the NBI because it appeared that the “resistance” of PLDT to implement the Dole order stemmed from its executives’ wanting to “protect” their business interests. “We have received reports that these agencies are owned by highranking PLDT officials,” Bello alleged in an interview on Radyo Inquirer. He said executives whomay be behind the illegal laboronly contracting practices may face legal action.