Bello tenders resignation to start campaign

MANILA, Philippines - Secretary to the Cabinet Silvestre Bello III has tendered his resignation to run for senator and start his campaign, the only Cabinet member to do so.

In an interview on Radyo ng Bayan, Bello said his last day in office would be on Tuesday when he would formally say goodbye to his colleagues during the Cabinet meeting.

Bello is running under the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set the start of the campaign period for candidates at the national level on Tuesday.

“My resignation submitted to the President will take effect Feb. 10 because I want to attend the last Cabinet meeting of the President so that I can say my goodbyes and thank the President for the opportunity to serve the country,” Bello said in Filipino.

Technically, he does not have to resign from his post based on a recent Supreme Court ruling declaring that appointive officials do not have to resign after filing their certificates of candidacy.

However, Bello said he felt it was just right for him to resign before going on his campaign because he might not be able to focus on his duties.

“I don’t know if there will be anyone else who will be resigning, but on my part, it is not right for me to go on a campaign, earn a salary from the government and not be able to perform my job,” Bello said.

He said the Cabinet meeting would most likely be held somewhere in the Luzon Urban Beltway as part of the second leg of the President’s tour of the country’s super regions.

This week, the President went to Pampanga, Iloilo, Cebu and Davao for the first leg of her tour, representing the cyber corridor super region.

Several other Cabinet members are running for various posts at the local level, the campaign period of which starts on March 26.

Those vying for seats in the House of Representatives are Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita (Batangas), Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap (Bohol), Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera (Quezon), Presidential Management Staff director general Hermogenes Esperon Jr. (Pangasinan), and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. (Camarines Sur).

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez is running for mayor of Iloilo City. – Marvin Sy