DOLE: Labor sector, gov’t agencies thumb down nat’l police clearance for labor transactions

The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) proposal to require a national police clearance (NPC) for various labor-related transactions has been thumbed down by workers, employers, as well as other government agencies, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Wednesday.

“Ang trend not in favor pero di pa final (The trend is not in favor but this is not yet final),” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said at a virtual briefing.

“We are not yet ready to come up with a response [to the PNP] pero hindi pumpayag ang mga manggagawa, hindi pumapayag ang mga employer, hindi pumapayag ang NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority), of course ARTA (Anti-Red Tape Authority) is against it dahil it goes against the very essence of their work which is ease of doing business,” he said.

(Workers are not in favor, employers are not in favor, NEDA is also not in favor, and of course, ARTA is against it because it goes against the very essence of their work which is ease of doing business.)

In a letter to Bello dated March 10, 2021, PNP chief Police General Debold Sinas told the Labor chief that the PNP is hoping that the DOLE will support the National Police Clearance System (NPCS) “by making the NPC as one of your requirements in your various transactions.”

"In using the NPC, the DOLE will have much broader information as to the character on an individual because of its much larger scope, coverage and databases relied upon and at the same time will be able to further contribute to our endeavor of attaining a safer place for the Filipino people to love and do business," the PNP letter further said

Labor groups and lawmakers have earlier expressed opposition in the proposal, saying that it is an added burden for workers.

Bello said that the DOLE is yet to send its final reply to Sinas, but said that “when we talk of this additional clearances, we have to look at the purpose of ARTA —ease in doing business with the government that’s what we are considering there.”

The Labor chief said that ease of doing business remains the top priority of the Duterte administration. -MDM, GMA News