Sotto to Roque: Congress passed anti-endo bill, Duterte vetoed it

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday snapped back at presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who earlier asked Congress to pass the Anti-Endo Bill before the Duterte administration ends.

“Congress passed it and the president vetoed it. So what do you want us to do? we passed it,” Sotto said in an interview on CNN.

“It’s surprising that they are calling us to pass it," he added. 

Sotto cited an excerpt from President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto message, which stated that the Anti-Endo Bill passed by Congress “unduly broadens the scope and definition of prohibited labor-only contracting.”

Sotto clarified further that Senate Bill 1826 in the 18th Congress seeks for the apportionment of the province of Rizal and not about the Anti-Endo Bill.

Last Monday, Roque maintained that the Security of Tenure Bill is still considered as an administration bill.

He, however, said that it is up to Congress to act on the measure as “no amount of certification can lead to enactment of the law if the wisdom of the Congress is otherwise.”

“But we continue to appeal to Congress to pass this Anti-Endo Law as the term of the President ends,” he added.

In July 2019, Duterte vetoed the Security of Tenure bill or the measure that was meant to eliminate subcontracting of labor and limit job contracting to licensed and specialized services.

Despite the rejection from the Palace, Sotto earlier said the Senate will again push for the approval of the measure in the 18th Congress. —LBG, GMA News