| Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Gilberto Teodoro | |
| Secretary of National Defense | |
| In office August 3, 2007 – November 15, 2009 |
|
| President | Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo |
| Preceded by | Norberto Gonzales |
| Succeeded by | Norberto Gonzales |
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Tarlac's First District | |
| In office June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Jose Cojuangco, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Monica Prieto-Teodoro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 14, 1964 Isabela, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Political party | Lakas Kampi CMD (2009–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Nationalist People's Coalition (1998–2009) |
| Spouse(s) | Monica Prieto-Teodoro |
| Children | Jaime Gilberto Teodoro |
| Residence | Carabaoan, Mayantoc, Tarlac, Philippines |
| Alma mater | Xavier School, De La Salle University University of the Philippines Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Lawyer Politician |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Website | Official Website of Gilberto Teodoro |
Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo Cojuangco Teodoro, Jr. (born on June 14, 1964 in Isabela, Philippines), or more commonly known as Gilbert/Gibo,[1] is the former secretary of the national defense of the republic of the Philippines, having assumed the post in August 2007 until November 15, 2009. He was a member of the House of Representatives, representing the First District of Tarlac province, from 1998 to 2007. In March 2009, he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 elections.
He is also known for his efforts as the Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) when Mega Manila was hit by Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy).[2]
Contents |
Teodoro finished secondary school at Xavier School in 1981, and obtained his undergraduate degree in Commerce from De la Salle University in 1985. He then studied Law at the University of the Philippines from 1985 to 1989, and finished at the top of his class. He was also awarded the Dean's Medal of Academic Excellence. The same year, he passed the Bar with a score of 86.185 percent, landing No. 1 among thousands of examinees. In 1997, he obtained his Master of Law degree from Harvard Law School in Boston, Massachusetts.
According to his classmates, Teodoro was "very intelligent", an unconventional nerd. They have also added that he is “very unassuming” and a “very cool” person. During his college days, he had not been involved in campus politics, and had been busy with his other commitments outside school, including being a member of the Sangguniang Kabataan in Tarlac and learning how to fly planes.[3]
Teodoro had been a lawyer for seven years at the EP Mendoza Law firm. He was also admitted to the State Bar of New York.[4]
At the age of 16, in 1980, Teodoro was elected as the Kabataang Barangay (KB) President in Tarlac. He went on to lead Central Luzon and became a member of the Tarlac Sangguniang Panlalawigan at the time that his mother was the Tarlac representative in the National Assembly.[5]
From 1998 to 2007 he was a House Representative for the First District of Tarlac province. He assumed the position of Assistant Majority Leader in the 11th Congress and head of the Nationalist People's Coalition House members. He was also a member of the House contingent to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council. Teodoro was a part of the "Bright Boys" clique.
Following his three terms in office—the maximum number allowed by the constitution — he was succeeded by his wife, Monica Prieto-Teodoro.
Teodoro was appointed Secretary of the Department of National Defense in August 2007 at the age of 43, like the late Ramon Magsaysay, he is also the youngest person to ever hold the position.
While serving as the Secretary of the Department of National Defense, Teodoro concurrently headed the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), a temporary organization that supports the relief efforts being done by the local government in times of natural disasters. When Typhoon Ketsana hit the country, Teodoro immediately issued an appeal for international aid through the United Nations and organized relief operations in the affected areas given the limitations in resources and the scale of the disaster.[2] He mitigated the devastation wrought by the typhoon and prioritized the areas at risk of being wiped out.[6]
Under the law (PD 1566), the NDCC's role as a temporary or ad hoc committee is very limiting because it places the budget and primary responsibility during natural disasters on the hands of local government officials. For this reason, Teodoro expressed the desire for bills that seek to replace PD 1566 with a permanent Disaster Risk Reduction Council (DRRC) that will be given the right powers and resources to correct the weaknesses of the current law.[2][7]
In March 2009, Teodoro announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 election.[8] Months earlier, he quit his old party Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) to join the merged administration party Lakas Kampi CMD and cast his name in the ruling party's contenders for the 2010 elections.
On September 16, 2009, voting 42–5 through secret balloting, the executive committee of Lakas-Kampi officially selected Teodoro as their party's presidential standard bearer for the May 2010 elections, edging out the other nominee, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando. The announcement was made by Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio after a deliberation that lasted for approximately an hour.[9]
Teodoro's campaign platform includes encouraging political growth in the provinces and improving healthcare and education. He has also stated that he would not interfere if Arroyo were to be charged at a later date.[10]
On November 20, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo resigned her post as the Chairman of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD and handed over the post to Teodoro.[11]
Teodoro's campaign slogan was "Galing at Talino" (capability and competence). According to him, public service does not only entail integrity, but ability and competence as well because people are looking for clear plans and not just mere promises and most of all positive campaigning. During the campaign, he shunned from mudslinging and encouraged other Presidentiables to do away with smear campaigning because it breeds disunity among Filipinos.[12]
On May 11, 2010, a day after the elections were held, Teodoro gracefully conceded defeat to the leading Presidential candidate, Senator Noynoy Aquino of the Liberal Party. During a press conference he held in the Lakas-KAMPI-CMD national headquarters in Metro Manila, Teodoro wished Aquino well and also announced his decision to return to private life in order to take care of his wife and only son.
Teodoro, born in Isabela, is the only child of former Social Security System administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. and former Batasang Pambansa member Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro. He is also the nephew of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr., chairman of San Miguel Corporation.[13]
Teodoro is the second cousin of another Presidential candidate, Noynoy Aquino, son of former President Corazon Aquino and former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. While Teodoro's mother, Mercedes Cojuangco, is the first cousin of Aquino's mother, former President Corazon Aquino, both families have always been on different sides of the political fence since 1960s. During the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Teodoro's father served as Social Security System administrator while Noynoy Aquino’s father, former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., was a leading opposition leader.[14]
Teodoro is married to Monica Prieto, with whom he has a son, Jaime Gilberto.[15]
Teodoro, who holds distinct memberships in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, UP Alumni Association, UP Law Alumni Association, Harvard Alumni Association and the Harvard Law Alumni Association, is also a licensed commercial pilot with a Learjet 31 rating and a Colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Norberto Gonzales |
Secretary of National Defense 2007-2009 |
Succeeded by Norberto Gonzales |
| House of Representatives of the Philippines | ||
| Preceded by Jose Cojuangco, Jr. |
Member of the House of Representatives from Tarlac's 1st district 1998-2007 |
Succeeded by Monica Prieto-Teodoro |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo |
Chair of Lakas Kampi CMD 2009-2010 |
Succeeded by Amelita Villarosa Acting |