Labor Secretary Tolentino Faces Call for Confirmation Block Over Wage Hike Stance

MANILA, Philippines — Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Elijah San Fernando on Tuesday said the Commission on Appointments (CA) should block the confirmation of Francis Tolentino as secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole), criticizing his stance on the pending P85 wage increase for workers in Metro Manila. San Fernando made the statement when asked if he would oppose Tolentino’s confirmation before the CA. Tolentino was appointed labor secretary in May following the resignation of former Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma due to health reasons. “For us at Kamanggagawa party-list, we believe that his appointment should be blocked by the Commission on Appointments,” San Fernando told workers in an ambush interview. READ: NCR wage hike: SC urged to intervene after Pasig RTC extends suspension During the House Committee on Appropriations’ briefing on the Dole’s proposed budget for next year, San Fernando and Tolentino clashed over the implementation of the P85 wage increase, which remains on hold pending court proceedings in Pasig City. San Fernando maintained that the wage order is in effect because the injunction against it is unenforceable since the petitioners failed to post the P10 billion bond. Asked about Dole’s stance on the implementation of the wage order, Tolentino said the agency adheres to the position of its legal counsel, the Office of the Solicitor General, noting that “sans a posting of the bond, the writ is not in order.” The lawmaker pressed Tolentino further, saying that despite his explanation, the wage order still could not be enforced. Tolentino disagreed, saying implementation was a matter for the court to decide, not the agency. “If this is how the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment conducts himself, then he should not be called the secretary of Labor and Employment,” San Fernando said. “So the Dole’s mandate is clear: to protect, defend and advance the rights of workers. You saw earlier during the Dole budget deliberations and budget consideration that Secretary Tolentino did not stand up for them,” he added. On June 30, Tolentino announced the “historic” P85 wage increase for minimum wage workers in Metro Manila. The first tranche of P65 was supposed to take effect July 25, while the second tranche of P20 was due Jan. 20 next year. READ: Dole seeks to lift injunction vs. P85 NCR wage hike However, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 125 issued a temporary restraining order against the implementation of the P85 wage increase in the region until Aug. 13, following a petition filed by Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc. The implementation was further delayed after the court granted the two firms’ petition for a writ of preliminary injunction. The Office of the Solicitor General has asked the Pasig court to resolve its pending motion for reconsideration seeking to lift the injunction that halted implementation of the P85 wage increase. The INQUIRER has sought comment from Tolentino but has yet to receive a response. /das