Teodoro still studying Duterte offer of top defense post

Former defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro says he is still considering accepting the offer of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte (inset) to return to his former post. INQUIRER FILES

Former Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. on Sunday denied that he had declined the offer of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to handle the defense portfolio anew.

“I have not declined the offer of the President-elect to serve as defense secretary. The importance of the position to the national interest requires no less than serious consultation especially with the President-elect before accepting such in order to ensure that a prospective Secretary is the right choice,” Teodoro said in a statement to the Inquirer.

READ: New faces, top names from previous governments eyed for Duterte Cabinet

The Inquirer learned that Duterte and Teodoro only had a brief meeting last May 16 in Davao City and had not really discussed what the President-elect expected of a defense secretary.

Teodoro was the defense chief of former President now reelected Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was the administration presidential candidate in 2010 but lost to his cousin, now outgoing President Benigno Aquino III.

Duterte’s defense chief, whoever that might be, will have big shoes to fill.

Among the accomplishments of outgoing Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin is paving the way for the biggest modernization effort of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as the military slowly shifted back to its original mandate, which is to secure the country from external threats./rga