Two party-list lawmakers on Saturday expressed opposition to President Duterte’s plan to veto the expanded maternity leave bill.
Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Party said President Duterte’s signature to finally have the bill enacted is “long overdue.”
“The expanded maternity leave bill has gone through exhaustive deliberations with all agencies and stakeholders involved, including Social Security System. He should sign it now,” said de Jesus.
De Jesus, who sat as one of the bicameral conferees on the measure, said the President should not pander to fake news on the supposed huge costs to the Social Security System (SSS) of the measure, which allegedly stands at P6.4 billion.
“The supposed enactment of the expanded maternity leave bill should not suffer merely because of the incompetence of the SSS and its failure to collect contributions from delinquent employers,” de Jesus said.
“Instead of floating the cost, why not find ways to the plug the leaks at SSS by improving collection rate and dispose costly idle assets? asked de Jesus.
For her part, Brosas dismissed as “exaggerated” the computation being floated by SSS to sway the President to veto the measure, to favor the calls of business groups for the measure’s veto.
“The so-called P6.4 billion price tag of expanded maternity leave is way off the mark,” Brosas said.
Under the expanded maternity leave bill which was first filed by Gabriela partylist group in 2007, women workers in the private, public and informal sectors will enjoy 105 days paid maternity leave from the current 60 days.
Brosas said the President should heed the cries of expectant mothers lest he further affirms himself as anti-women and anti-worker.
“If President Duterte vetoes the bill, he should expect a loud outrage by mothers who have long demanded the passage of the expanded maternity leave,” said Brosas.
