Four lawyers have asked Pasay City prosecutors to open a preliminary investigation into Defense Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro over his alleged continued use of a Maltese passport, raising questions about whether he made false statements in a Philippine passport application nearly a decade ago.
The complaint, filed on or about June 18, accuses Teodoro of possible violations of the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 and of falsification of public or official documents under the Revised Penal Code. It centers on what the complainants call a "material inconsistency" between a Maltese passport record and a Philippine passport application — a discrepancy that, if proven, would touch on the truthfulness of disclosures the law requires of every passport applicant. The case lands at a politically charged moment, days after Beijing sanctioned Teodoro over his criticism of China.
According to a copy of the complaint reported by The Philippine STAR, the four 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 filed the complaint at the Pasay City prosecutor's office.
The complainants contend that Teodoro "appears to have held a Maltese passport valid from Dec. 22, 2016 to Dec. 22, 2026," and that on or about March 17, 2017, he applied for or renewed a Philippine passport. They argue that "declarations made in this Philippine passport application regarding citizenship, foreign citizenship, or foreign passport status appear inconsistent with the Maltese passport record," according to The Philippine STAR.
"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, as quoted by The Philippine STAR. The complainants asked the prosecutor to subpoena Teodoro's passport records as well as documents showing that he had already renounced his Maltese citizenship.
That last request points to the central factual dispute: the defense establishment says the renunciation has already happened. The Department of National Defense said in July 2025 that Teodoro had renounced his Maltese citizenship before he ran for senator in the 2022 elections. As of this report, neither Teodoro nor the DND had issued a public response to the new complaint itself.
The timing is conspicuous. The complaint came days after China imposed sanctions on Teodoro and his family, barring them from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau over remarks Beijing said undermined its interests and damaged bilateral relations. Teodoro, one of the most vocal Cabinet officials on the West Philippine Sea, has vowed to keep performing his duties despite the sanctions, and the Department of Foreign Affairs has condemned the Chinese move.
Context: the law on dual citizens in public office
The legal question raised by the complaint is governed by Republic Act No. 9225, the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act. Under that law, a natural-born Filipino who holds another citizenship and seeks elective public office must execute a "personal and sworn renunciation" of any foreign citizenship at the time of filing the certificate of candidacy. Philippine courts have repeatedly ruled that simply using a foreign passport after such a renunciation can amount to a recantation of the oath — a recurring issue in election disqualification cases over the past decade.
For an appointed official such as a defense secretary, the candidacy-stage renunciation requirement under RA 9225 attaches to Teodoro's earlier run for the Senate in 2022, which is why the complainants frame the matter around both his passport applications and his prior electoral bid. Whether prosecutors find probable cause will turn on documentary evidence — precisely the records the complainants are asking to be subpoenaed. The DND's 2025 statement that the renunciation predated the 2022 campaign, if substantiated, would be central to any defense.
The case will now proceed, if accepted, through the standard preliminary investigation process at the city prosecutor's office, which determines only whether there is probable cause to file charges in court — not guilt. No charges have been filed against Teodoro as of this writing, and the allegations remain unproven.
Sources
- Ian Laqui, "Lawyers seek probe into Teodoro's already-denounced Maltese passport," Philstar.com, June 18, 2026 — https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/06/18/2536135/lawyers-seek-probe-teodoros-already-denounced-maltese-passport
- "DFA slams China sanctions as Teodoro vows to keep doing his duty," Philstar.com, June 13, 2026 — https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/06/13/2534941/dfa-slams-china-sanctions-teodoro-vows-keep-doing-his-duty
- Republic Act No. 9225 (Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003), Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines