Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWS) from Davao City were among the early birds for the rally in support to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III at the Freeddom Park on Thursday. Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA
DAVAO CITY--About 500 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Davao Region and neighboring provinces gathered here for a rally in support of embattled Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who is facing corruption allegations.
Marcia Sadicon, national president of the Advocates and Keepers of the OFWs or AKO OFW, said Bello still enjoys the trust of the OFWs.
Sadicon said her group, as well members of the Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS) Global who held their rally at the Freedom Park here, reject the corruption allegations hurled against Bello.
She said it was the least they could do to support and express gratitude to Bello, who she said, never failed to help them in times of distress.
Bello, she said, has kept an open communication line for OFWs to directly seek his help, even as the group thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for his continued trust on Bello. Sadicon said her group hopes the President would keep Bello as Labor secretary.
She also called on Bello's accusers to "come clean and go to court."
Akrima Maguid, the chapter president of AKO OFW North Cotabato, said he came all the way from her hometown in Carmen to show her support to Bello.
Maguid recalled the time she called Bello on wee hours to ask help for a distressed OFW in Saudi Arabia, "and the secretary was ready to extend help." (Lilian C Mellejor/PNA)
