Labor Secretary Silvester Bello shows his Ombudsman clearance signifying he has no criminal and administrative case. YUMMIE DINGDING The Office of the Ombudsman cleared yesterday current Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III of any pending cases to qualify him as a candidate for the post that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales will vacate on July 26.

“This certifies that as of June 18, 2018, our records show that Silvestre Hernando Bello III, Department of Labor and Employment, Intramuros, Manila, has no pending criminal or administrative case with the Office of the Ombudsman,” stated the document signed by Ombudsman graft investigation officer 1 Maria Agnes Forteza.

The clearance was issued upon the request of a certain Arvin Carandang.

Bello was subjected to a panel interview by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

He told the panel a case against him over a 1988 contract involving the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), in which he was former chief executive officer, had been resolved.

A pending criminal or regular administrative case disqualifies an individual to top positions at the Office of the Ombudsman under Rule 4, Section 5 of the JBC.Bello readily answered questions from the panel.

The Ombudsman’s certification dispelled claims he is not qualified to the post as top graft buster.

Aside from Bello, candidates for the post are Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Samuel Martires; Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz; Davao Judge Carlos Espero II; lawyers Edna Herrera-Batacan; Rey Nathaniel Ifurung; Rainier Madrid; Felito Ramirez and Rex Rico, and Special Prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval.