The House of Representatives on Monday passed on third and final reading a bill proposing to regulate the employers' practice of posting notices of termination of employment of former employees in newspapers and other media.
With 193 members voting in the affirmative, House Bill 852, a consolidation of two proposed measures, was approved on final reading. There were no negative votes and abstentions.
With Deputy Speaker and Abono Partylist Rep. Conrad Estrella III, who presided over Monday’s plenary session, said HB 852 will be transmitted to the Senate for its action.
HB 852 consolidated the bills filed by Reps. Edgar Aglipay (DIWA Partylist) and Joaquin Chipeco Jr. (PDP-Laban, Laguna).
Defended on the floor by 1PACMAN Partylist Rep. Eric Pineda, the bill prohibits employers in the private sector from publishing notices of termination of employment of workers unless the cause of such dismissal is any of the following: serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, falsification of documents and conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.
Pineda, chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, said employers are also allowed to publish notices of termination if the employee involved was an accountable officer holding the position of cashier, treasurer, collection officer, sales agent and other officers or employees who handle cash, property stocks and other assets of the employer.
Exempted from the prohibition are employers who have reasonable grounds to believe that the dismissed worker will cause loss or damage to the company or compromise the interest of the employer.
Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite voted in the affirmative but aired misgivings over the inclusion of several exemptions that serve to defeat the objective of the measure. Aglipay recalled that a similar bill was approved on third and final reading during the 17th Congress.
“The proposed measure adheres to the policy of the state to protect all workers from abusive acts of employers,” explained Aglipay.