President’s Hall, Ante Room, Malacañan Palace
June 6, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administered the oath of office to lawyer Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. as the newly appointed Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary in a ceremony held at the President’s Hall, Ante Room in Malacañan Palace.

The Secretary’s wife, Monica Prieto Teodoro, who is the Special Envoy of the President to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), and his son, Jaime Prieto Teodoro, accompanied him during the oath-taking.

Secretary Teodoro previously held the same post as DND Secretary from 2007 to 2009 under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. During his tenure, he pursued a modernization program for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and implemented reforms in the DND.

It was also during his term as Defense Secretary that he served as Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), predecessor of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Moreover, he has served as a three-term Member of Congress, representing the First District of Tarlac.

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