A campaign to force Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to resign has been gathering pace after he allegedly made derogatory comments about a maid who was murdered and stuffed in a freezer in Kuwait.
Bello is alleged to have used the words “ice-cream” to describe Joanna Demafelis, the murdered maid who was found in a freezer. He is also alleged to have said her family became millionaires from the donations that poured in after her gruesome death in Kuwait.
An online petition calling for Bello to resign has been launched by a number of Filipino groups based in Hong Kong and Macau, sunwebhk.com reported.
Bello is alleged to have made the remarks during a meet-and-greet session between domestic workers and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go on April 12 when President Rodrigo Duterte visited Hong Kong.
Bello told domestic workers at the meeting that “they should prepare well for their future, and not wait until they turned into ‘ice cream’ like Joanna Demafelis before they became self-sufficient,” according to the statement on change.org.
He also claimed Demafelis’ relatives became instant millionaires because of the donations that poured in from people who were moved by the tragedy. According to sunwebhk.com, Bello’s comments were heard by several community leaders during the meeting.
The organizers of the campaign also criticized Bello’s decision to recall Filipino labor attaché Jalilo dela Torre, who is perceived to support employers over the rights of workers and there are allegations he colluded with recruiters.
The campaign has been organized by BAYAN Hong Kong & Macau, Filipino Migrant Wokers’ Union, Global Alliance Hong Kong, Global Ministers Association, Mindanao (Hong Kong) Workers Federation and United Filipinos in Hong Kong.
Marie Abucejo ms umangat nga at bumuti ang Pinas nung si Pres Du30 ang naluklok eh kesa kay Aquino na walang ginawa kundi magpayaman at sinali pa ang bunsong kapatid..eh ano massasabi no jan
hindi mababayaran ang buhay…unless tragedy did by Evil happen like this…ikaw kaya ang gawin icedrop…tuhugin muna bago ipasok sa freezer…mga bastos na talaga halos nasa gobyerno ..
Elleber Chin kahit na poh… hnd na xa dapat ngbigay ng ganung statement…kc wlang amount ng pera ang kayang magbalik ng buhay…. the family didnt ask for this donation for sure
Patay na nga yung tao..kinaiingitan mupa yung milyun na tinulung ng gobyerno sa pamilya demafilez.. Ay buhay
mapa dilaw man, duterte man o kahit sinong naka upo i respect them, pero ung makapag salita at inililipat o isinisisi sa isang tao ang asal ng isang tao is a BIG NO. KANYAKANYANG PAG UUGALI PO YON.which is d ka nman tiniruaan para para mag salita ng ganun. in short wala tlgang GMRC. MGA ganung tao.
Tama ka kabayan, maraming ding dilawan dyan syempre ung reporter hahanap yan ng mga againts para pag usapan. Tandaan po natin walng nillang sa lupa na perfecto lhat tayo ngkkamali sa mga nbibigkas natin wag lng po puro mali ang tingnan natin kundi e balansi po natin mas marami po silang nggawang tama at ito ay pinakikinabangan natin…..
Jhan Micheal Allaine labas na tayo doon kung naging Mil.Family ng namatayan bigay ng taong bayan yon kusang loob!kung may mga naiingit na naging millionaryo di magpaka matay din kayo para mag aboloy din sa inyo ang taong bayan ????????????????
Grabe ka naman magcomment.wagas.
HOY Bello ,money cannot buy the lives of the people ,your comment is horrible na big la nag instant milionnaire ang family .
Big yes!
Correct! nag ki create.nang mapag uusapan.If we are open minded wala naman masama sa binigkas na word ni Sec of DOLE Bello. kaya propaganda nga yan.to brainwash Ofw here in Hk. and working other countries.
Marie Abucejo alam mo,ang mga dilawan lang ang tumitira or sisirain ang kasalukuyan administration.kasi nawala na ang nigusyo nila.hindi na sila maka kurakot.
I attend the meeting of president ,together all sec.Bonggo,asec mocha,sec.Bello,pero wala akong narinig na may sinabi ng ganyan…!paninira lang yan ng mga dilawan alam nyo naman gagawin nila lahat para masira lang ang hanay ng pangulong Duterte.ganyan sila ngayon ka active.kaya kahit ano ang sasabihin nila pls.lang wag kayong maniwala.
Omg sir Bello!what is money if life was already gone fm.her family specially to her kid????????????
God bless you in ur way of thinking…may anyone related to u not suffer same as this.
If u are educated please educate ur heart too.
Daisy May basahin mo ang article at intindihin mong mabuti kung ano ang nilalaman d lang basta maka comment …grrrrrrr
Daisy May asan ba yong utak mo? Nalason na ba ni Mocha Uson kung anong nangyayari isisi mo sa dilaw ? Isa ka ring baliw…
Daisy May manga ngamoy kang supporter ng mga Marco’s. ba nginabang b sa nakaw n naman.kaya dilaw ang sinisisi mo pwee
Of what i understand Bello said or used the word ice cream because the murdered ofw has been put inside a freezer. Although he did not mean badly still a disrespect for the dead and murdered ofw mostly to his family. He is endngering them by proclaiming the world they became instant millionaires!