Malacañang on Thursday maintained that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not block the proposal to raise the minimum wage for workers.

to raise the minimum wage for workers.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the decision on wage hikes lies with Congress, not the President.

“I hope the Kabataan Partylist can see what the President is really doing. He is not obstructing; we want to correct that — the President is not blocking the wage increase,” she said.

Castro said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board can attest that Marcos has repeatedly expressed support for salary increases for workers.

She emphasized that the Chief Executive cannot interfere with ongoing discussions between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Kabataan Partylist Representative-elect Renee Co earlier criticized the President, accusing him of prioritizing large corporations and allowing oil companies to raise fuel prices while setting aside wage hike proposals.

“If what they are asking for is a P200 wage hike, that is up to Congress. If the House and the Senate cannot agree right now, the President cannot just dictate (to them),” Castro said.

On the issue of rising oil prices, she noted that global market forces and existing legislation — such as the Oil Deregulation Law — limit the government’s ability to control the prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene.

Castro urged the Kabataan Partylist to file legislation in the 20th Congress that would authorize the executive branch to implement policies benefiting stakeholders.

Earlier this month, the House approved on third and final reading a bill proposing a P200 increase in the minimum wage for private sector workers. This was higher than the Senate’s version, which proposed a P100 increase.

However, following the adjournment of the 19th Congress, the measure will need to be refiled in the 20th Congress.