Silvestre Bello III

The Honourable Silvestre Bello III
Bello in 2018
Chairperson and Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Philippine Representative to Taiwan)
In office June 30, 2022 – September 30, 2024[1]
President	Bongbong Marcos
Preceded by	Lito Banayo
Succeeded by	Cheloy Garafil
29th Secretary of Labor and Employment
In office June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2022
President	Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	Rosalinda Baldoz
Succeeded by	Bienvenido Laguesma
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for 1 BANAT & AHAPO Partylist
In office June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2016
Cabinet Secretary of the Philippines
In office June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2010
President	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Preceded by	Ricardo Saludo
Succeeded by	Jose Rene Almendras
Solicitor General of the Philippines
In office June 9, 1998 – June 30, 1998
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Romeo de la Cruz (acting)
Succeeded by	Ricardo P. Galvez
In office September 23, 1996 – February 3, 1998
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Raul Goco
Succeeded by	Romeo de la Cruz (acting)
45th Secretary of Justice
In office February 1, 1998 – June 30, 1998 (acting)
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Teofisto Guingona Jr.
Succeeded by	Serafin R. Cuevas
In office July 15, 1991 – February 10, 1992
President	Corazon Aquino
Preceded by	Franklin Drilon
Succeeded by	Eduardo G. Montenegro (acting)
Personal details
Born	Silvestre Hernando Bello III (1944-06-23) June 23, 1944 (age 80) Gattaran, Cagayan, Commonwealth of the Philippines
Political party	Lakas–CMD (1992–2015) 1-Banat & Ahapo Partylist (2013–2016) PDP–Laban (2016–present)
Spouse	Regina Gerona
Children	5
Residence	Quezon City
Alma mater	Manuel L. Quezon University (AB) Ateneo de Manila University (LL.B)
Occupation	Lawyer
Profession	Politician

Silvestre Hernando Bello III (born June 23, 1944)^[2] is a Filipino businessman and lawyer from Isabela, who served as the secretary of the Philippines' Department of Labor and Employment, and concurrently Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process,^[3][4] under the Duterte administration. Bello was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to replace Rosalinda Baldoz as the Department of Labor secretary.^[5]

Bello was a former justice secretary, solicitor general^[5] and representative of 1-BAP party-list during the 16th Congress of the Philippines.^[6]

In July 2022, he presented his credentials to President Tsai Ing-wen as de facto Philippine Ambassador to Taiwan.^[7][8]

Bello was born in Gattaran, Cagayan on June 23, 1944. He is married to Regina Gerona.^[2] He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Manuel L. Quezon University in Quiapo, Manila, in 1966. He earned his Bachelor of Laws from Ateneo de Manila University Law School in 1970.^[9][10]

Bello. worked in private practice in the 1970s and 1980s and became active in several civic and human rights groups during the Marcos dictatorship such as the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the Justice for Aquino, Justice for All (JAJA) Movement, the Coalition of Organizations For The Restoration of Democracy and the Coalition For The Protection of Workers’ Rights. He was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino as an undersecretary of the Department of Justice from 1986 to 1991. Bello served as justice secretary from 1991 to February 1992 when he resigned to run for the Senate as a candidate of Fidel V. Ramos' Lakas-CMD party in the May 1992 elections, which he lost. He was then appointed to several government positions by President Ramos such as the government negotiating panel during peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF before running again in 1995 for governor of Isabela but lost to Benjamin Dy. He was then reappointed by President Ramos as solicitor general from September 23, 1996, until February 3, 1998^[5] when he was reappointed secretary of justice. In June of that year he was also concurrently reappointed as solicitor general which he occupied until the end of Ramos' presidency on June 30.

He was the chairman of the Government Negotiating Panel for Talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF from January 2001 to August 2004. He served as president and CEO of PNOC Development and Management Corporation from November 2004 to December 2005. From January 2006 to December 2006 he was the general manager and CEO of the Philippine Reclamation Authority. He was a presidential adviser for New Government Centers from July 2007 to July 2008. He served as Cabinet Secretary during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.^[10][11]