MANILA, Philippines – Hinamon ni Senador JV Ejercito ang Mababang Kapulungan na kaagad pagtibayin ang panibagong legislated wage hike upang mapagbigyan ang hiling ng manggagawang bumibigat ang pasaniin sa mataas na halaga ng bilihin.
Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Ejercito na kailangan pagtibayin kaagad ang Kamara ang panukala upang hindi magahol sa panahon tulad nang nangyari sa nakaraan na kinapos at isumite sa huling araw ng sesyon.
“Walang last minute submissions,” ayon kay Ejercito.
Noong nakaraang 19th Congress, pinagtibay ng Kamara ang P200 daily minimum wage increase, habang P100 minimum pay hike naman sa Senado, Ngunit, nabigo ang bicameral conference committee na pagisahin ang magkakaibang probisyon sanhi ng kawalan ng sapat na panahon.
“Kasi doon ako nagtataka po sa kanila, hindi naman ho, pasensya na po. I’m just being honest. We passed it 2024. I think February pa yata yun. So more than one year and a half has passed, doon po nila pinasa. So more than a year and a half has passed, they passed it there,” ayon kay Ejercito.
“So sana kung talagang seryoso po talaga ang ating counterparts, noong 2024 pa lang, nagpasa na sila, hindi na kinakailangang i-certify (If our counterparts were truly serious about it, they could have passed in 2024, even without the need to certify it), we would have passed it right away,” giit pa niya.
Ngayong 20th Congress, umaasa si Ejercito na maaprubahan ang panukala sa mas lalong madaling panahon.
“The information is already there, the data, and the deliberations during the committee hearings and plenary. So it will be easier for us to pass it,” ayon sa senador na nagpanikala ng P250 daily minimum wage increase sa bersiyon ng kanyang panukalang batas.
“They can prepare the committee report immediately then pass it in plenary. So I don’t think there’s a need for it to be certified (urgent). Because if both houses are serious about it, then we can pass it as soon as possible even without the certification,” aniya. Ernie Reyes
