Marcos dictatorship 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. By the mid-1980s, Bello served as chairman of the
Davao City chapter of the Makabayang Alyansa (MA, formerly the "Mindanao Alliance"), an opposition group based in Mindanao. In May 1985, Bello became a member of the national organizing committee of the newly established
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).
Fifth Republic 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 He later served as
Secretary of Labor and Employment during the entire term of President
Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022. After which, Bello served as chairperson of the
Manila Economic and Cultural Office, representing the Philippines to
Taiwan, during the presidency of
Bongbong Marcos, until he stepped down in September 2024. Following the
arrest of Rodrigo Duterte in 2025, Bello briefly served as Duterte's legal counsel. == Personal life==