By Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senator Joel Villanueva was disappointed that President Duterte vetoed a provision in the 2019 national budget assigning the release of special work permits (SWPs) to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Senator Joel Villanueva (CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN) "We are disappointed that the special provision returning to the labor department the sole authority to issue work permits has been vetoed," Villanueva said in a statement Tuesday. Amid the surge of illegal alien workers in the country, Villanueva, the chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources, had pushed for the inclusion of a special provision in the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA) that would require the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to coordinate with the DOLE in issuing SWPs to foreigners. But President Duterte, in signing the GAA, rejected this, citing Section 42 of the Commonwealth Act No. 613, or the Philippine Immigration Act, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 524. The law imposes fees for certain services of the BI for aliens seeking entry or residence in the Philippines. Aside from this, the Chief Executive also noted that the regulation of foreign workers in the country should be "shared" by the DOLE and the BI. "The intricacies brought about by the influx of foreign workers and immigrants in the country require collaborative efforts of NGAs (national government agencies) to regulate alien employment. Thus, it is but imperative that regulation should be a shared responsibility of the BI and the DOLE," Duterte said in his veto message. Villanueva said that he "respects the President's decision and agreed with his belief that solving the problem in illegal foreign workers should be a shared responsibility by the two agencies. But he stressed the BI's lapses in issuing the special work permits, recalling the investigation conducted by his committee. "The lack of monitoring and the irresponsible issuance of work permits the past months by the Bureau only indicate incompetence and worse, corruption," Villanueva said. "Clearly, the influx of illegal foreign workers in sectors that should exclusively for Filipinos shows the Bureau’s incompetence and complete disregard to the welfare of Filipino workers," he lamented. The senator maintained that the DOLE has the sole capacity to vet foreigners who intend to work in the country. "The role of the DOLE is to vet the entry of foreign workers, while the Bureau of Immigration is in charge of issuing visas to foreign workers only after the DOLE has made a determination that no Filipino is capable, able and willing to do the job for which the services of the foreigner is being sought," he pointed out. An SWP allows foreign workers to work in the Philippines for three months. It could be extended for another three months. Despite the President's veto, Villanueva said he is keen to push for amendments in the mandate of the Bi in relation to the issuance of SWPs. "While the veto is a temporary setback on our efforts to put an end to the influx of illegal foreign workers here, our resolve to reform the process remains unshaken. We shall continue to push for an overhaul in the system by filing appropriate bills, such as amendments to the BI's charter," he said.