The Senate unanimously adopted a resolution Wednesday urging the immediate lifting of a temporary restraining order that halted an P85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila, warning that judicial interference threatens the country’s wage-setting mechanism.

Senate Resolution No. 577, filed by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and signed by all senators, expresses strong backing for the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), the National Wages and Productivity Commission and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region.

“Let the Labor Code prevail and allow the P85 increase to reach the workers who have already waited long enough,” Zubiri said. “A petition by a few cannot be allowed to keep more than 1.1 million workers and their families waiting.”

Last week, Branch 152 of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court issued a TRO suspending Wage Order No. NCR-27 until 13 August following a petition filed by construction firms Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc.

The wage order, approved in July after consultations among labor, employer and government representatives, mandated a P60 increase starting 25 July, with an additional P25 scheduled for 20 January 2027.

Once fully implemented, the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila will rise to P780 for non-agriculture workers and P743 for other covered sectors.

Senators cited Article 126 of the Labor Code, as amended by Republic Act 6727, which states that no court, tribunal, or entity may issue injunctions or restraining orders against proceedings conducted by the national commission or regional wage boards.

Zubiri warned that allowing the TRO to stand could set a dangerous precedent, making future wage adjustments nationwide vulnerable to legal challenges.

“Otherwise, it would set a bad precedent because if a P30 increase is approved in Cagayan de Oro or Northern Mindanao, anyone could just go to a friendly court and seek a restraining order,” Zubiri said.

Meantime, DoLE Secretary Francis N. Tolentino expressed gratitude to members of the 20th Congress for standing behind Filipino workers. Tolentino reiterated that DoLE is working closely with the Office of the Solicitor General to challenge the Pasig court’s order.

“DoLE’s position is to push forward with that wage hike because we are the primary witness here,” Tolentino said. “We are the ones proving that the process was correct, that the P60 and P25 allocations were correct. Everything went through the proper process in accordance with the Labor Code of the Philippines.”

While labor organizations have condemned the court order for delaying necessary income adjustments amid high living costs, business groups have argued that wage hikes add strain to companies recovering from economic challenges.

The Pasig court is scheduled to hear arguments on the petition before the TRO expires on 13 August.