By Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte has done everything he could to end illegal contractualization and now expects Congress to do its part to ensure “endo” will be a thing of the past, Malacañang said Thursday. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ( RENE LUMAWAG/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/ MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque has defended the President's Executive Order No. 51 clamping down on illegal contracting practices in the wake of criticisms from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The Catholic bishops claimed that Duterte has disrespected and betrayed worker when he signed EO 51. The EO supposedly failed to meet the labor groups’ demand to state direct hiring as the mode of employment relations. "We reiterate that the President has done all that he could within the bounds of his executive power to end the practice of illegal contractualization in the country," Roque said. "The signing of Executive Order No. 51 is a clear manifestation of his commitment to do away with this unlawful labor scheme," he added. Roque maintained that the Palace was counting on Congress to make the next move promote the security of tenure of workers. "It is now up to Congress to do the rest of the job in order to ensure that 'endo' would be a thing of the past," he said. "We therefore leave all other contractualization matters to our counterparts in the Senate and in the House of Representatives for legislation," he added. The President earlier committed to certify as urgent the passage of the security of tenure bill in Congress. He recently admitted that the EO 51 lacks "teeth" to end contractualization, saying it was the job of Congress to impose penal sanctions against such illegal labor scheme. He said he might end up violating the law or risk getting impeached if he dipped his hands on legislation.