Manila: Malaca±ang on Friday denied the allegation of former Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chief Silvestre Bello III that he was sacked because he refused President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s alleged offer for him to run for a congressional post in Davao City. 'I talked to the President personally on this matter, and he said it's a lie,' Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing, when asked to comment on Bello's allegation.

According to Philippines News Agency, Bello made his accusation during a People's Congress organized by the opposition Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Quezon City on Tuesday. He claimed that Marcos offered him PHP1 billion to run against Rep. Isidro Ungab and that his removal from MECO was a consequence of his refusal to accept the offer.

When asked again about the reason behind Bello's removal, Castro reiterated the President's stance: 'You can ask him, but on the part of the President, it's a lie. There's no truth about that.' Bello concluded his two-year tenure as MECO chief in September 2024 and was succeeded by former Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil.