Putting an end to "endo"

Just as protesters braved the summer heat marching against what they claimed as government inaction on their plight, President Rodrigo Duterte took steps in the campaign against "endo" or the end-of-contract policy of some in the business sector.

At a Labor Day event held at the IEC International Center Cebu, Duterte signed an executive order that regulates contractualization in the country. He instructed the labor department to report to him businesses that engage in laboronly contracting and other form of employment abuses.

His move, however, does not signal the end of "endo" itself. Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the EO does not kill the "endo" because it is covered by law.

Duterte said a legislative measure is needed if the country wants to eradicate "endo" once and for all. "I believe in order to implement an effective and lasting solution to the problems brought about by contractualization, Congress needs to enact a law amending the Labor Code. Dugay na ni; its outdated. I think Congress should come up with a new Labor Code to keep up and attuned to the realities of our times," the president said.

But whether Congress will readily respond to renewed calls to stop "endo" remains to be seen. For decades, the labor sector has been calling for the destruction of "endo," branding it as a form of labor abuse commonly committed against the ordinary workers.

"Endo" managed to thrive because no legislator has dared to seriously fight against it. This is because many members of Congress are beholden to some big businesses whose owners have been bankrolling their political career.

By issuing the EO, the president has already done his part in his effort to go after businesses that are committing unfair labor practices. The ball is now in the hands of the two chambers of Congress because only the legislative branch, not the executive department, has the power to put an end to "endo."