Defense Secretary Gilberto ‘Gibo’ Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday condemned what he described as a “smear campaign” following a misleading report that surfaced this week on the Maltese passport he once owned.
This was despite official records confirming he had already renounced his Maltese citizenship, which would have otherwise disqualified him from holding a public office.
“Of course, it’s infuriating because, first of all, it wasn’t true. Second, the broadsheet did not even get my side of the story,” Teodoro said, referring to a daily newspaper, which published the material on Monday.
The Defense chief noted that the request for a statement only came after the story had already been printed.
“They already libeled me, should I still help? Had they asked me right away, I could have explained and shown them the proof I have,” Teodoro added.
Teodoro emphasized that he proactively addressed the matter long before returning to politics, initiating the renunciation process early in anticipation of how lengthy it might be.
He pointed out that all necessary actions were completed before he filed his certificate of candidacy, and that the Commission on Appointments confirmed his appointment as Defense Secretary with full awareness of his disclosures.
“This is not only fake news, this is a smear campaign,” Teodoro said.
He discolsed someone had already warned him that this issue would resurfaced, but he declined to name names.
“It is not my job to assist a journalist,” he said.
Teodoro said he is aware that his detractors, who amplify pro-China sentiments would feast on the report.
The Department of National Defense (DND) earlier clarified that Teodoro relinquished his Maltese passport in 2021 prior to his Senate run and fully disclosed this to the Bureau of Immigration, the Commission on Elections, and later, the Commission on Appointments.
The Association of Reservists and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines (ARRAPI) defended Teodoro on Monday, calling the allegations against him “malicious and misleading.”
They questioned the timing of the issue, noting it emerged as Teodoro leads military modernization efforts.
ARRAPI Chair Lt. Col. Michael Romero called it a “desperate attempt” to discredit a patriotic leader and urged the public to focus on national security and verify information through official sources.
Teodoro, meanwhile, explained why he applied for a Maltese passport to begin with. He said he had the same reasons as every other Filipino, who wanted to find work opportunities abroad.
“I was a private citizen back then, you know. So, like other Filipinos at the time, we were searching for opportunities,” he said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “‘Nakakagalit!’ Gibo slams ‘smear campaign’ amid dual citizenship claims”
