A private individual on Wednesday filed a criminal and administrative complaint against Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with his 40 travels abroad.
At a news conference, Adolfo Paglinawan, a broadcaster who claimed to be the lead convenor of the Solidarity for Sovereignty, said Bello should be held liable for violation of Section 3 of Republic Act 3019, extortion and robbery under the Revised Penal Code for alleged conspiracy with ex-undersecretary Dominador Say to receive benefits from a certain Azziza Salim, owner of a recruitment agency, some P5 million.
He said the matter was brought to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte, who ordered Say’s removal from his post.
He said Salim filed a complaint with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, to no avail.
Moreover, Paglinawan said Bello received “gifts” from Amanda Araneta, owner and president of MMML Recruitment Services Inc., “two occasions,” and despite the cancellation of peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in November 2017, Bello, along with a certain Jessica Gabriel Abad as a companion, “made a secret trip to the Netherlands to rendezvous and meet with Jose Maria Sison,” founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines.