President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the proposed security of tenure bill last July 2019 citing the following reasons: that while labor-only contracting must be prohibited, legitimate job-contracting should be allowed” provided that the contractor is “well capitalized, has sufficient investments, and affords its employees all the benefits”; that the bill unduly broadens the scope and definition of prohibited labor-only contracting; that it violates the Constitutional provision on the exercise of management prerogative; and that adequate laws are already in place which prohibits illegal employment malpractices and reinforces the implementation of the Labor Code namely Department Order No. 174 and Executive Order No. 51.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Education responded on various occasions that they have forwarded the policy recommendations of the ECCP-led position papers on gradual reopening of international schools in Metro Manila and cited the president’s directive to suspend face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.