Philippines has new Defense Minister

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Gilberto Teodoro as Defense Secretary, a position he held under former President Arroyo.

The appointment was announced by the Philippine Presidential Palace today after a meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Department leaders. Gilberto Teodoro will take over as Defense Secretary from acting Secretary Carlito Galvez.

Gilberto Teodoro, 58, is a former congressman and served as defense minister of the Philippines from 2007 to 2009, under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He is a lawyer, politician and businessman who has never served in the Philippine military.

Mr. Teodoro in 2016. Photo: Rappler

The position of Philippine Defense Minister has been vacant for nearly a year, since Mr. Marcos was elected president in June 2022. The Philippine Defense Ministry has been led by acting ministers, all former military generals.

President Marcos has sought to foster warm relations with both the United States and China, which are competing for influence in the Indo- Pacific .

Experts say the US sees the Philippines as a potential location for deploying missiles, rockets and artillery systems to deal with contingencies in the region. However, Mr. Marcos said that China had agreed to discuss fishing rights in the South China Sea and he would not allow the Philippines to become a springboard for any military action.

Washington and Manila signed an agreement earlier this year that would give the US military access to four more military bases in the Philippines. China criticized the move as “escalating military tensions and endangering peace and stability in the region.”

Vu Anh (According to Reuters )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/philippines-co-tan-bo-truong-quoc-phong-4613982.html