By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday, June 20, said he does not have pending cases in the Ombudsman.
Bello made the statement during the Judicial and Bar Council’s public interview of applicants to the Ombudsman post.
Under JBC rules, anyone with a pending case is disqualified from being nominated to judicial posts, or as Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman.
“Fortunately, I found out, Your Honor, that the case has been resolved in our favor,” he said, referring to the cases filed against him in connection with a 1988 contract involving the Philippine Reclamation Authority where he was then a high-ranking official.
After the interview, Bello also showed reporters a certification from the Ombudsman that said that as of June 18, he had no pending criminal and administrative cases.
The certification was signed by graft investigation officer Maria Agnes Forteza.
Other issues
During the interview, Bello said he decided to apply for the post because it could be his last chance to help the President in his campaign against corruption.
He said should he be the next Ombudsman, he would be independent in resolving cases, just like what he did when he was Justice Secretary.
He said his reliability has also been proven as government official under the Duterte administration.
He said sensitive posts were given to him–he was appointed as head of the peace panel of the government tasked to negotiate with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front.
Bello also noted that under his term as labor secretary, thousands of workers have already been regularized.
Apart from Bello, also screened were Sandiganbayan Justice Efren dela Cruz , President Rodrigo Duterte’s former lawyer Edna Herrera-Batacan, lawyer Rey Nathaniel Ifurung and Rainier Madrid, legal counsel ni presidential son Paolo Duterte.