Malacanang has moved the target to sign an executive order against contractualization or "endo" on or before the Labor Day on May 1.

In a press briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the supposed signing of the EO by President Rodrigo Duterte did not happen on Monday as earlier announced by a labor group because no final version has been agreed upon.

"I can only surmise that the final version of the EO has not been agreed upon by both labor, management and government. It’s a tripartite document, which has to be agreed upon. So, possibly, they don’t have a final version yet," he said.

Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod said Sunday the Palace cancelled the supposed meeting on Monday with labor groups where the EO was supposedly be signed.

But they were not informed of the reason for the cancellation of the meeting, he said.

Roque could not say why there was no final draft of the EO.

But Roque added, "I know that the president is rather restive about this EO. He has mentioned to me personally that this is a campaign promise that he wants to deliver to the people very soon."

He said Duterte wants the EO to come out as soon as possible.

"We know that Labor Day is May 1. So, I would think that it will come out on or before May 1," Roque said.

Asked if the Palace committed to the labor groups about the supposed April 16 signing of the EO, the spokesman said he did not find it in his own calendar.

"I found a meeting with GSIS (Government Service Insurance System), another meeting with an ambassador and two private meetings. Unless the meeting was, you know, denominated as a private meeting which it should not be. So, it was not even in my calendar," he explained.

"So that’s the truth, that’s from my own calendar. So, I wouldn’t make a big thing out of it, because anyway, I would think that they would want a significant EO like this to be issued in connection with another commemoration giving… recognizing the value of the labor sector in our society, which is Labor Day." Celerina Monte/DMS