By Hannah Torregoza
Senators on Monday, Aug. 3, strongly condemned the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court against the implementation of the ₱85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo branded the TRO “unacceptable,” stressing that Article 126 of the Labor Code prohibits courts from issuing injunctions or restraining orders against wage board proceedings.
He argued that any appeal should have been filed with the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), not the courts.
“The wage increase is already meager despite the continuous rise in the prices of goods, and now even that has been denied to our struggling workers,” Tulfo said, calling the suspension a violation of workers’ rights.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros likewise denounced the ruling, saying the ₱85 increase was modest and already agreed upon by some employers.
She urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to fight the case and have the suspension lifted.
“Workers should not lose this pay raise simply because it has been blocked in court,” she said, warning that bypassing the tripartite system undermines industrial peace.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, expressed confusion over the TRO, citing the same Labor Code provision.
“This increase is badly needed by our workers. I’m also confused by that decision primarily because of Article 126 of the Labor Code,” he said, adding that he hoped the matter would be resolved soon.
The senators collectively lamented that the TRO was a major setback for workers already burdened by rising costs, insisting that the wage hike must proceed without judicial interference.
