MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. no longer holds a Maltese passport and had renounced his foreign citizenship before running for office in 2022, the Department of National Defense said Monday, July 14.

The statement from DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong came after The Manila Times reported that Teodoro held a passport from Malta, issued Dec. 22, 2016, and valid for 10 years.

“The alleged existing Maltese passport of Sec. Gilberto Teodoro was surrendered and renounced prior to the filing of his certificate of candidacy in 2021 for the 2022 elections,” Andolong said in a statement.

The defense spokesperson said Teodoro disclosed the passport’s existence to the Bureau of Immigration and Commission on Elections before the 2022 elections, as well as to the Committee on Appointments before his confirmation as DND chief in 2023.

Dual citizenship concerns 

Philippine law prohibits dual citizenship for public officials, particularly those in Cabinet-level positions. 

The article suggested Teodoro may have supposedly acquired Maltese citizenship through Malta’s citizenship-by-investment program, which requires applicants to either reside there for at least a year or through an “exceptional direct investment” of €600,000 to €750,000. Applicants are also required to buy property worth at least €700,000 or lease for €16,000 annually, according to the Maltese government’s website.

The DND’s statement did not explain how exactly Teodoro became a citizen of Malta. However, Andolong indicated the “rumor” and the timing of the article have raised red flags with the defense chief.

“The motive of this rumor is clear and known to Sec. Teodoro. The timing of the article adds to this motive,” Andolong said. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Teodoro as Defense Secretary in June 2023.

Teodoro has regularly delivered fiery remarks against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea since taking office. 

RELATED: China condemns Teodoro’s defense of US missile system, human rights criticism