MANILA - Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Felipe Egargo Jr. on Wednesday said they have asked the Office of Solicitor General (OSG), to raise with the Pasig Regional Trial Court branch 152 the alleged violation of the Labor Code following the court's issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO ) on the P85 wage hike in Metro Manila.
Egargo said they are working to have the TRO lifted.
“Ang categorical position ng DOLE diyan ay sinasabi namin sa OSG bilang abogado ng DOLE, ‘yung Office of the Solicitor General, sinasabi namin ipakita sa korte na ang ginawa nila ay labag sa batas– ng Article 126 at tsaka 123 sa Labor Code. Ipa-ano ‘yan para ma-lift ang TRO,” Egargo said during a House Committee on North Luzon Growth Quadrangle hearing on Wednesday.
Article 126 of the Labor Code states no TRO may be issued by any court against proceedings before the National Wages and Productivity Commission and Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards.
Mountain Province Lone District Rep. Maximo Dalog Jr. said they are concerned about the issue, adding this would set a precedent all over the country.
"I hope the DOLE is fighting this out considering that it would be a precedent for all over the country. Kagaya sa CAR, kung may mag-ano, they will look for a favorable court to issue a TRO,” Dalog said during the hearing.
Egargo replied, “We are trying to portray that there is a law that prohibits the judge from interfering insofar as the regional tripartite and wage productivity is concerned. But since they are the ones in charge of interpreting the law, they can do whatever they– but rest assured po na the DOLE is fighting for this particular.”
For Kamanggagawa party-list Representative Elijah San Fernando, DOLE should continue implementing the wage order pending the case’s resolution.
“May jurisprudence naman na kasi ‘yung korte diyan na kapag defective or illegal in the first place ‘yung issuance ng isang order, void ab initio dapat. Ang pinupunto ko po dito, dapat ‘yung Department of Labor and Employment should implement the NCR wage order pending the resolution of the case sa korte. Kung irereklamo nung mga petitioner ‘yung DOLE, magkasuhan nalang. Kaya nga po may OSG,” San Fernando said.
"The position of DOLE should be stronger kasi pinanghihimasukan. Binabastos kasi nung korte ‘yung kapangyarihan ng executive at ng Kongreso,” the lawmaker added.
Egargo said they gave an advisory to employers regarding those who started implementing the increase back in July, but some employers are afraid of being cited in contempt.
“‘Di ba na-implement natin sa July 25? ‘Yung mga na-implement na, na-execute na ay hindi dapat i-refund ng ano. Ngayon, binibigyan namin ng advisory kasi ang magbibigay ng salary naman ‘yung employer. Ngayon, ito namang mga employer, natatakot sila ma-contempt dahil korte ‘yan. So according to Assistant Secretary, nag-file na daw ‘yung OSG ng comment on this particular,” Egargo said.