MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) clarified that Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. had already surrendered and renounced his alleged Maltese passport prior to filing his certificate of candidacy in 2021 for the 2022 elections.

In a statement, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio R. Andolong said the existence of the passport was disclosed to the Bureau of Immigration, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), and the Commission on Appointments before Teodoro’s appointment as defense chief was confirmed.

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

“Its existence was disclosed to the Bureau of Immigration and Comelec prior to the 2022 elections, as well as to the Committee on Appointments prior to their confirmation of his appointment as Defense Secretary,” he added.

Andolong dismissed rumors surrounding the issue, saying the motive behind its resurfacing is “clear and known” to Teodoro, and that the timing of related reports reinforces this.