DND: Raps vs Gibo Teodoro a fishing expedition

DND chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Photo from The official Facebook page of the Philippine Department of National Defense.

The Department of National Defense (DND) has dismissed the criminal complaint recently filed against Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., saying the charges were unverified and lacked competent evidence.

DND assistant secretary and lawyer Erik Dy said in a statement that the charges of perjury, falsification and violations of the Philippine Passport Act against Teodoro were a “fishing expedition” for proof that the complainants should have presented themselves.

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READ: Complaint filed vs Teodoro over ‘dual citizenship’

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“The burden of proof rests on those who make the accusation,” the DND said in a statement, quoting Dy. “A complaint for perjury requires competent evidence, not speculation, assumptions or a fishing expedition in search of proof.”

The statement came after a joint complaint-affidavit was filed before Pasay City Prosecutor Elmer Cris Rillo by lawyers Russel Miraflor, Antonio Balondo Jr., Ernie Arimala and Jerry Honrado, along with concerned citizens.

The complainants sought a preliminary investigation into alleged violations of the Philippine Passport Act, falsification of public documents and perjury.

At the center of the complaint is an allegation that Teodoro allegedly held a Maltese passport issued in 2016 and later applied for or renewed a Philippine passport in March 2017, which the complainants claimed to be inconsistent.

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Provide tangible proof

The complainants asked government prosecutors to determine whether probable cause exists for possible charges, noting that key records must still be verified through subpoenas during preliminary investigation.

But Dy said the complaint is premature and seeks to compel agencies to generate evidence rather than present verified proof at filing.

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“Until credible and verified evidence is presented, these claims remain nothing but unproven accusations,” the DND said.

Without providing proof, the complainants said government prosecutors should be the ones to look into and verify the official records pertaining to Teodoro’s citizenship and asked prosecutors to provide the complainants with certified copies of documents investigators may uncover.

The DND did not address the substance of the allegations, but focused on legal thresholds for initiating criminal proceedings.

Dy lamented the DND statement that government prosecutors and government agencies should prove the allegations that the complainants themselves failed to prove.

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“That is not how the justice system works,” said the DND assistant secretary.