Bello, lone Dabawenyo candidate for senator

Dabawenyos who remember the advantages of having Dabawenyos in the Philippine Senate almost 40 years ago now have a chance for history to repeat itself.
“Dabawenyos” generally refers to residents of the cities and towns of the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley now comprising what we call the Davao Region or Region XI.
Only three senators have so far come from Davao –Alejandro Durano Almendras, a Cebuano-born law student and former guerrila captain; Gaudencio Antonino, an engineer from Nueva Ecija  who made good in construction and logging; and Magnolia Welborn Antonino, Gaudy’s widow who replaced him as candidate when he died in a plane crash a day on election day sometime in the 60’s.
The chance of having a Dabawenyo senator again is now,  in voting for Silvestre H. Bello III, the lone senatorial candidate from Davao.
A lawyer who has distinguished himself as a human rights fighter in the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship, Bello is a veteran cabinet official. The current cabinet secretary has served twice as secretary of the Department of Justice, chief of the Solicitor General’s Office twice, presidential adviser for new  government centers, and president of the Philippine Reclamation Authority serving under three presidents – Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Gloria Arroyo.
For several years, Bello also served as chief peace negotiator of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines with the National Democratic Front of the communists.
Bello is most remembered as the leader of history’ longest “Welga ng Bayan”, a weeklong  Mindanaowide people’s protest against the excesses of Martial Law. He was then Mindanao’ secretary general of Bayan.
Bello’s first served Dabawenyos as private secretary of then Davao City mayor Luis T. Santos in the 70’s.
Earlier, he was a topnotcher  councilor of Kawayan, Isabela.
He is the father of Councilor Karlo “Kaloy” S. Bello of Davao City’s Third District and Vice Mayor Yoyen  Bello of Kawayan City, bopth running for reelection.