Latest news with #DepartmentofNationalDefense
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Teodoro: Dual citizenship report part of smear campaign
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday called a smear campaign the article questioning his alleged dual citizenship. 'Ito'y hindi lang fake news kundi smear campaign. Kasi hindi hiningi yung side ko na puwede ko namang ipaliwanag. Basta na lang nilabas. At alam nila na pupulutin ito,' Teodoro said in a radio interview. (This is not just fake news but a smear campaign .tTey didn't ask for my side, which I could have explained. They just put it out there. And they know it will be picked up.) To protect his source, Teodoro opted not to disclose what or who is behind the 'smear campaign' against him. 'Ngayon na iniisip-isip ko siguradong napakalalim ng pagkagawa kasi itinanim sa isang pahayagan na kilala na bumabatikos sa ating mga patakaran laban sa Tsina. Tapos sigurado ituturo ito doon,' he said. (Now that I think about it, it must have been done very deeply because it was planted in a newspaper that is known for criticizing of our policies against China. And most certainly, it will definitely point to such an issue.) 'Kung gusto kayo ng tao, kayo naman ang mangingibabaw. Hindi na kailangan siguro sirain 'yung iba,' he added. (If people like you, you will prevail. There's probably no need to destroy [the reputation of] others.) On Monday, the Department of National Defense (DND) clarified the reported Maltese passport of Teodoro had been renounced as early as 2021. DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong made the statement following a media report questioning Teodoro's alleged dual citizenship, which is prohibited for Cabinet members. 'The alleged existing Maltese passport of Sec. Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. was surrendered and renounced prior to the filing of his certificate of candidacy in 2021 for the 2022 elections,' Andolong said. 'Its existence was disclosed to the Bureau of Immigration and Comelec prior to the 2022 elections, as well as to the Committee on Appointments prior to their confirmation of his appointment as Defense Secretary,' he added. — RF, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
DND confirms Teodoro renounced Maltese passport in 2021 amid dual citizenship reports
The Department of National Defense (DND) confirmed that Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. renounced his Maltese passport in 2021, addressing recent reports questioning his alleged dual citizenship. DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said on Monday that the passport was surrendered and renounced before Teodoro filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2022 elections. 'The alleged existing Maltese passport of Sec. Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. was surrendered and renounced prior to the filing of his certificate of candidacy in 2021 for the 2022 elections,' Andolong said. He added that the passport's existence was disclosed to the Bureau of Immigration, the Commission on Elections, and the Committee on Appointments before Teodoro's confirmation as Defense Secretary. The reports stated that the Maltese passport was issued to Teodoro on December 22, 2016. Andolong questioned the timing and motive of the news reports. 'The motive of this rumor is clear and known to Sec. Teodoro. The timing of the article adds to this motive,' he added.
GMA Network
14-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
DND says Teodoro's Maltese passport renounced in 2021 amid 'dual citizenship' issue
The Department of National Defense (DND) on Monday clarified that the reported Maltese passport of Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has been renounced as early as 2021. DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong made the statement following a media report questioning Teodoro's alleged dual citizenship, which is prohibited for Cabinet members. 'The alleged existing Maltese passport of Sec. Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. was surrendered and renounced prior to the filing of his certificate of candidacy in 2021 for the 2022 elections,' Andolong said. 'Its existence was disclosed to the Bureau of Immigration and Comelec prior to the 2022 elections, as well as to the Committee on Appointments prior to their confirmation of his appointment as Defense Secretary,' he added. Andolong expressed suspicion on the motive of the news article. 'The motive of this rumor is clear and known to Sec. Teodoro. The timing of the article adds to this motive,' he said. —KG, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
DND reaffirms commitment to 2016 arbitral ruling on South China Sea
The Department of National Defense (DND) reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the South China Sea on Saturday, emphasizing that the landmark decision underscores the importance of upholding international law in maritime disputes. In a statement marking the ninth anniversary of the ruling, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Arbitral Award remains a clear affirmation of the country's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. 'The Philippines, a nation committed to peace and principled engagement, views this Award not just as a cornerstone of our foreign and security policy, but as an irreducible truth,' Teodoro said. The defense chief emphasized that the arbitral decision, which invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, is not merely a legal document, but 'a resounding declaration that the only legitimate guide for the conduct of nations is the rule of law – never the imposition of might.' He further asserted that no degree of external pressure, revisionist interpretation, or geopolitical maneuvering can invalidate that truth. Teodoro also underscored that asserting the country's sovereign rights is not an act of provocation but a duty of the Philippine government. 'Defending our sovereign rights and jurisdiction is not an act of provocation. It is the sacred and fundamental duty of the Republic – an expression of our responsibility to our nation, to the Filipino people, and to the countless generations of Filipinos who will inherit this sacred trust,' he said. Issued on July 12, 2016, the PCA ruling favored the Philippines in its case against China and ruled that Beijing's nine-dash line claim had no legal basis under international law.
GMA Network
01-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Teodoro: PH military needs airborne warning, control system
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Philippine military needs to obtain airborne warning and control system (AWACS) capability to make the multi-role fighter (MRF) jets, which the country plans to buy, operational. 'It is not only the purchase of the MRF per se which we need to deal with but also to make the MRFs operational as a force package, meaning to say we need the AWACS capability,' Teodoro said. 'A lot of countries have experienced the fact that they are realizing that they need AWACS, notwithstanding the fact that their satellite capability is not enough. We need tankers and we need sustainment,' he added. He pointed out that the Philippines must take into account that these assets need to be maintained and used with adequate stores, reserves, and munitions, which add to the cost of the package. Teodoro said the Department of National Defense is in constant coordination with the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management for the continuity of funding available. According to him, the proposals for the purchase of MRFs are still being reviewed. Last week, Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief Lieutenant General Arthur Cordura said the country is not discounting the possibility of acquiring Japanese fighter jets in the future. ''Mitsubishi fighters, the Japanese-made multi-roles (fighter aircraft) are very potential platforms also. The selection for the multi-role will depend upon the appreciation of the department in terms of how these are incorporated, this can be effectively incorporated in the whole CADC (Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept) concept ano,'' Cordura said. ''So it does not discount later, perhaps, platforms coming also from Japan if they will serve the purpose of our territorial defense plan,'' he added. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
