Santo Domingo.- Deputy Rafael Castillo, representative of the No. 2 constituency of Santo Domingo Este for the Fuerza del Pueblo
(FP) and spokesperson for the bloc of deputies of that party, defended this Friday the legislative reforms in progress, in the face of criticism from feminist groups and business sectors that have expressed their rejection of the recent initiatives of the National Congress.
Regarding the new
Penal Code, which has been questioned by feminist groups for excluding the three grounds for abortion, Castillo highlighted the arduous work carried out by the special commission in charge of its study.
“What has been approved is the result of the work of more than a month and a half, of a commission that dedicated up to 15 hours a day during those 45 days to evacuate what we have. Perhaps it is not what other sectors expected, but it is very different from what we have now,” he affirmed.
The legislator emphasized that the piece introduces around
70 new criminal classifications and the accumulation of penalties, demands widely requested by society.
“I think it’s going to be favorable and it’s always good to keep talking. Other conversations could start after it is approved,” he indicated.
Regarding the reform to the
Labor Code, which has been harshly criticized by the business sector for considering it “regressive”, Castillo highlighted the extensive dialogue process prior to the piece.
“The Labor Code has already been discussed for about six months. Since August we have been working on this and the employers stood their ground on two things, which was homeland or death. If it’s not that homeland, the project won’t go through,” he explained.
The deputy highlighted the effort of the bicameral commission to listen to all sectors and achieve a consensus reflected in the project approved in first reading in the Senate.
“Today we already have the approval in the
Senate, and we believe that we are going to have in this legislature a Labor Code that is necessary and that the workers, and even the same employers, are waiting for, because it greatly benefits all parties”, he affirmed.
Castillo also specified that the severance pay, one of the most sensitive points of the debate, will remain as it currently is.
“La Fuerza del Pueblo has said that we voted exclusively for what was presented in the Senate, which was the consensus of more than 100 meetings. The dismissal in this case will remain as it is, and we will continue to discuss so that, if things need to be improved in the future, it will be the result of more meetings,” he concluded.
