2 days ago
5
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Philippines' Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. (C) speaks during a bilateral meeting with Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Manila on May 5, 2026.
AFP / Mark Cristino
MANILA, Philippines — Several lawyers have filed a complaint against Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, asking prosecutors to investigate his alleged continued use of his Maltese passport.
The complainants, lawyers Russel Miraflor, Antonio Balondo Jr., Ernie Arimala and Jerry Honrado, are seeking a preliminary investigation into Teodoro's alleged false statements in a Philippine passport application and the use of a passport secured through such statements.
They claimed that Teodoro allegedly violated the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 and provisions on falsification of public or official documents under the Revised Penal Code.
They filed the complaint against Teodoro at the Pasay City prosecutor's office.
The complaint centers on an alleged material inconsistency between a Maltese passport record and a Philippine passport application.
According to the complainants, Teodoro appears to have held a Maltese passport valid from Dec. 22, 2016 to Dec. 22, 2026.
Subsequently, on or about March 17, 2017, he applied for or renewed a Philippine passport.
The complainants contend that declarations made in this Philippine passport application regarding citizenship, foreign citizenship, or foreign passport status appear inconsistent with the Maltese passport record.
"The existence of a Maltese passport is material because the Philippine passport application process requires truthful disclosure of citizenship status, foreign citizenship status, and foreign passport matters when required by the official form and applicable rules," the complaint read.
The complainants also asked the prosecutor to subpoena Teodoro's passport records and documents showing that he had already renounced his Maltese citizenship.
The Department of National Defense in July 2025 said that Teodoro had already renounced his Maltese citizenship before he ran for senator in 2022 elections.
According to Republic Act No. 9225, an elective official who holds foreign citizenship must conduct a "personal and sworn renunciation" of foreign citizenship at the time of filing the certificate of candidacy.
The complaint came days after China imposed sanctions against Teodoro and his family, barring them from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau over his alleged remarks that undermined Beijing’s interests and damaged bilateral relations.
