Presidential candidate Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson maintained his position that he is generally in favor of ending the practice of contractualization in the country.

The Partido Reporma standard-bearer, however, wants to balance competing interests on this matter, so that one side would not be put at extreme disadvantage over the other.

Speaking at the “Go Negosyo Kandidatalks: The Presidential Series,” Lacson said he wanted to protect the working-class sector, who kept being denied their pathways to permanent employment under the existing end-of-contract or ‘endo’ culture by giving them security of tenure.

But he also understood that some of the employers’ concerns were valid—since it might negatively affect some aspects of their businesses—that’s why they always held reservations on every proposed legislative measure against contractualization.

“Kailangan sigurong ibalanse ‘yung business at saka ‘yung ating mga manggagawa, ‘yung mga employees, ‘yon siguro (I think we need to balance (the interests) of our business {sector} and our working-class, the employees because they’re competing). Nagtatalo ‘yan e, parang to favor one would disfavor the other, but not necessarily. Kailangan i-balance talaga (It’s like to favor one would disfavor the other, but not necessarily, we really just have to balance it,’’ Lacson told forum host Cheryl Cosim.

“I think may makikita naman ditong middle ground para maproteksyunan din ‘yung ating mga manggagawa na alam mo, anim na buwan lang e, pagkatapos wala namang security of tenure... (I think we can find a middle ground to also protect our workers who, you know, lose their jobs every six months owing to lack of security of tenure... ). Ako, I’m for ending ‘yung contractualization, actually (I am for ending contractualization, actually,’’ the presidential candidate added.

Lacson said it is necessary for the government to revisit some of the provisions in the earlier bills filed to address this thorny issue.

He noted that in the 18th Congress, they already passed a proposed legislation that would terminate the ‘endo’ culture but it was vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The longtime public servant was referring to Senate Bill 1826, or the Security of Tenure Bill, which was authored and sponsored by Senator Joel Villanueva.

Both Houses of Congress passed the measure, but Malacañang returned it in July 2019 without Duterte’s signature.

Villanueva, who is currently running for re-election, vowed to refile the so-called ‘anti-endo’ bill in the next Congress. On the sidelines of his campaign activities in Laguna last February, Lacson said he would support this measure if he is voted into office as the 17th president

“We will support that... Kailangan lang mayroong parameters na pagka nagsilbi na sa isang kompanya (ang isang empleyado) for a certain period of time, dapat ‘yon huwag nang contractual (We will support that... We just have to include some parameters like if (an employee) has been working for the company for a certain period of time, he should no longer be treated as a contractual employee,’’ acson was quoted saying by reporters.