President Rodrigo Duterte will no longer issue an executive order to eliminate contractualization, Malacanang said on Thursday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte has fulfilled his campaign promise of ending "5-5-5 endo."

He said Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III has spoken that it is now up to Congress to come up with a law to fully address the other form of contractualization, which is allowed in the Labor Code.

"The position of Secretary Bello now is it is better to leave the matter of endo to Congress. And I’ve also been informed by the Department of Trade and Industry that actually the President has already complied with his election promise ? to do away with 5-5-5 endo," he said.

He explained that 5-5-5 endo refers to work being provided to a worker for only five months. After five months, the worker would be terminated so he could not become a regular worker after six months.

Various labor groups had met Duterte in several occasions, pressing him to issue an EO that would finally end contractualization in the country. Duterte promised to come up with an EO.

Early this week, prior to Bello's statement, Roque said Duterte might issue the EO against contractualization on or before Labor Day on May 1.

Asked if Duterte would certify as urgent pending bill in Congress redefining endo, the spokesman said, "I will find out because that seems to be the solution to it all."

"You know, although we are looking forward to the EO, an EO can only do so much. As you know in our system of government, the executive through an executive order can only implement the law. So if there has to be revision in the law, especially on the definition of what endo is, it has to be Congress," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS