Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. Photo from the The official Facebook page of the Philippine Department of National Defense
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday called his rumored resignation “fake news,” saying he had no intention of stepping down.
He added that he had no plans to run in the 2025 midterm elections as he was focused on his tasks as defense secretary.
Teodoro told reporters here during a visit to military installations in Palawan that he remained committed to his promise to President Marcos to strengthen the Armed Forces of the Philippines through the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, restructure the Department of National Defense (DND) to make it more capable, and prepare the military to transition to external defense.
“That is my commitment to the President and the people of the Philippines, to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our nation,” he said.
READ: Teodoro resignation rumors not true, says Palace
In an interview in Navotas City on the eve of his birthday, Mr. Marcos laughed when asked to confirm Teodoro’s supposed resignation.
“Really? There’s news that Secretary Teodoro has resigned? Really? First of all, I will address that question. That is fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake news,” he said.
According to him, Malacañang would be the one to announce any changes in government or the Cabinet, and “not those who know nothing.”
The President added that he even talked to Teodoro about the rumor. “We couldn’t help but laugh over it. I called him up this morning and asked, ‘I heard you’re resigning.’ He replied, ‘Why? Are you removing me?’ I said, ‘Why will I do that, we don’t have any problem between us.’ He said, ‘Let’s just ignore that.’ But I said we have to address it,” Mr. Marcos said.
Sowers of intrigue
He called the rumors “stories weaved by desperate people to sow chaos.”
“These are people who do not contribute to Filipinos’ lives, except to malign and sow intrigue. So we have to be very careful. We should not believe it if they do not offer proof to back up their claims,” Mr. Marcos said.
There has been talk on social media that Teodoro was planning to quit his post in the wake of the departure of Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil from the Cabinet. But she is set to head the Manila Economic and Cultural Office.
The DND also denied the rumors in a statement with its spokesperson Arsenio Andolong saying Teodoro and the DND were “focused squarely on boosting the nation’s capabilities to protect our territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
Teodoro was appointed in June last year to the DND. He served in the same post under then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from 2007 to 2009 after being elected Tarlac representative from 1998 to 2007.
In 2022, he unsuccessfully ran for senator under the Uniteam ticket of Mr. Marcos and now Vice President Sara Duterte.