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President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted that a "compromise" might be needed between the workers and the businessmen amid call for him to finally sign an executive order to end contractualization or "endo."

"I don't think that I can really give them all because we can't force the capitalists," Duterte said in a speech in Davao City Monday night.

"Don't make it hard for them to run the business the way they like it because that's their money. So something of a compromise must be - may be acceptable to everybody," he added.

Labor groups have been asking Duterte to finally issue the EO on endo.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte's statement should not be understood that he was withdrawing from his campaign promise that he would put an end to contractualization.

"I don't think he has retreated. He has asked for more time to study the matter, and that's what he is doing now," he said.

He refused to elaborate on what could be the compromise that Duterte has been referring in his speech.

"I have an inclination, but unless it’s announced by him, I would defer commenting on it. But there is a possible compromise," he said.

Labor coalition group Nagkaisa said they will not accept any compromise on contractualization. Nagkaisa spokesman Rene Magtubo said they presented a labor-drafted executive order to Duterte in their dialogue last February 7.

“The said EO, while framed to prohibit contractualization, has a provision that allows labor contracting to jobs that, by their nature, could be contracted out but subject to consultation between the labor secretary and labor groups represented in the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council,” said Magtubo.

“Our expectation after the February 7 dialogue is that he will sign our proposed EO. He has all the time to think about the EO... We are not hoping. We are expecting him to sign,” said Magtubo. Celerina Monte/DMS