Bello sued for graft, usurpation, treason over foreign trips

A private citizen from Quezon City filed eight counts of graft, usurpation and treason complaint against Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and two others over their alleged excessive foreign travels, among others.

The complaint alleged that Bello made 40 travels abroad, and made mention of an extortion of P5 million from a recruitment agency, sending an employee to meet National Democratic Front leader Jose Maria Sison in Netherlands and unlawful appointments in offices in charge of issuing licenses to recruitment agencies, among others.

The complainant, who identified himself as Adolfo Paglinawan from Quezon City, said Bello should resign, considering that President Rodrigo Duterte fired former Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chair Terry Ridon and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) chief Marcial Amaro III for less instances of foreign travel.

"We know for a fact that some of those trips were really junket. Kaya co-accused itong si Noel Binag, Ria Lano. Si Lano, bakit kailangang batang member of opposite sex ang traveling companion? Kami ay nagtatanong lamang," Paglinawan said.

"Pera ng bayan ang involved rito," Paglinawan added.

He, however, admitted that Bello traveled abroad a lot of times as a part of the presidential delegation.

"Some of those, but not all [of his travels are with the President]. That is why we asked the Ombudsman to subpoena the records from Bureau of Immigration," Paglinawan added.

He also accused Bello of illegally issuing Administrative Order 241 which gives the Labor chief the authority to issue licenses to recruitment agencies, accepting gifts from the owner of MMML Recruitment Services, Inc., appointing Lano and Binag as POEA chief for Licensing and Regulation Office and in-charge of Occupation Safety and Health Office over senior employees and illegally designating Philip Paredes as Officer-in-Charge of the Labor department.

"This decorum by the alter-ego of the President reeks of sense of impunity that has no place in Duterte administration," Paglinawan added.

GMA News Online has already reached out to Bello for comment but he has yet to respond as of posting time. —KG, GMA News