Philippine Defense Secretary Renounces Maltese Citizenship Before Office

Manila, Jul 14 (AP) Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr renounced his Maltese citizenship and disclosed this to Filipino authorities prior to assuming office, the Defense Department announced Monday. Philippine law generally disqualifies candidates for high public office who possess dual citizenship, particularly foreign citizenship acquired through naturalisation, unless they renounce their foreign citizenship.

Teodoro, appointed as defense chief by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in 2023, has been a prominent critic of China’s assertive moves in the contested South China Sea and other Asian regions. He has spearheaded efforts by the Philippines to strengthen its treaty alliance with the United States and establish new security ties with other nations to counter China's influence.

The Manila Times reported that Teodoro obtained a Maltese passport in 2016, valid for ten years. However, the Defense Department clarified that Teodoro's Maltese passport was “surrendered and renounced” before he filed his certificate of candidacy for a Senate seat in 2021, a bid in which he was unsuccessful.

The Defense Department highlighted that a Philippine congressional committee on appointments was informed of Teodoro’s renunciation of his Maltese passport and citizenship prior to confirming his appointment as defense secretary. The department implied that critics are attempting to tarnish his reputation.

“The motive behind this rumor is evident and known to Secretary Teodoro," the Defense Department stated without providing further details. "The timing of the article further supports this motive.”

The Department of National Defense did not elaborate on the manner in which Teodoro acquired his Maltese passport. Malta, a member of the 27-nation European Union, has offered foreign nationals citizenship through its “golden passport” program, which involves financial investment.

In April, the European Court of Justice instructed Malta to terminate its “golden passport” scheme, ruling that citizenship in EU countries cannot be sold. Such programs, which allowed wealthy individuals to purchase citizenship, were once common across Europe but have been retracted due to concerns over potential facilitation of transnational crime and sanctions evasion. (AP) SCY SCY

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