The perils of overpromising and hazy commitments
As I see it, contractualization will never be, and should never be abolished. To do so would drive investors away and the working class will be the worst victim of such a draconian move.
The hullabaloo about contractualization and unabated noises on the raging human rights implications of the anti-drug war of the Duterte administration are results of too much promising but too slow and little fulfillment of such promises. During the presidential campaign, Duterte was very emphatic in saying that, when he becomes president, contractualization would stop. I could still hear his words, in answer to a question from the audience in the presidential debate held in Dagupan City. He did not make any qualification nor reservation - but categorical, emphatic and sure of what he promised. Only to realize now that it was much easier said than done.
The President, in trying to appease the united union movement, invited them to Malacañang. All the biggest labor leaders were there, including the Mendoza brothers, Michael and Raymond, (sons of the late Democrito Mendoza of the ALU-TUCP), and those representing FFW, PTGWO, the KMU, and labor groups of different ideologies: left, right and center. The President always promise that, in due time, he would issue an executive order to put an end to all forms of third party work arrangements. The last promise was to meet again on May 16 so that, in the presence of the union leaders, he would finally sign and release the promised EO. But the meeting was cancelled. No EO was issued.
On the war against drugs, then candidate, Mayor Duterte, promised to solve the drug problem in six months. Now it is clear that he could not solve it in six years. He admits he underestimated the scope, depth, extent and complexity of the whole drug malady. If it was a cancerous growth, it would be worse than stage four. The problem is the advisers were unable to make their homework before they allowed the President to open his mouth and make such a promise. Today, thousands of barangays are under the control and domination of drug lords. Narco-money shall transform the barangay and SK polls into a farce exercise in democracy.
The problem of over-promising and under-delivering is that it builds up discontentment. The people are disappointed, disillusioned and losing faith in our President and his administration. Though he is still popular, (a better president than PNoy and GMA), his popularity is fast declining, because the Class C and Class D masses are the ones now complaining on the failure to end contractualization. The truth is that all the presidents wanted to stop were the pernicious practices of '' 5-5-5'' and ''endo.'' This has been delivered and done. The workers, under constant agitation of leftist labor ideologues, are crying for blood. They want contractualizationto end because those were the promise of the President.
Duterte is now like a lover who is trying to appease his beloved who expected that their relationship would be a bed of roses. From a moment of promise to a moment of fulfillment, there is a whale of a gap, which is now creating too much anger and frustrations. This government should address the rising anger or face a crisis.