Gibo’s Loyalty Test Comes With a Mirror (Opinion)

By: Anna Malindog-Uy (Source)

Philippines Defense Secretary — Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. now reportedly wants government officials he considers “pro-China” to resign? Wahhh…. How IRONIC, folks, right?

The irony is obvious: the unresolved public controversy over his alleged Maltese citizenship remains a live issue, and there’s even a group of lawyers who filed a complaint against him and have sought subpoenas for records to determine whether he indeed renounced his Maltese citizenship. Note that it’s not just him who allegedly acquired Maltese citizenship. Allegedly, his wife, Nikki Prieto-Teodoro, who was, if I am not mistaken, appointed by Marcos in 2024 as special envoy to UNICEF, is holding a Maltese passport and citizenship and has used it for travel abroad.

Thus, perhaps before Gibo distributes resignation templates to everyone who wants diplomacy with China, he may want to save one copy of resignation templates for himself and his wife, precisely because his own public controversy over his alleged Maltese citizenship and that of his wife remains unanswered in the only language that truly ends suspicion: complete, official, documentary proof and records of renunciation.

Folks, you know what, the issue is not whether Teodoro can deliver a fiery media soundbite. Clearly, he can. The issue is whether a defense chief whose own citizenship history and that of his immediate family, specifically his wife, has become a matter of public controversy should be casually lecturing others about loyalty to the flag as if patriotism were his private franchise.

Let us be clear: NO Filipino public official should serve the interest of any foreign power, whether the United States, Japan, Australia, China, or even Mars or Pluto. Loyalty to the Philippine flag, especially if one is holding a high-level and important government position, must be non-negotiable. Hence, dual citizenship is a BIG NO!

Furthermore, such a principle cuts both ways. It cannot be used as a political whip or propaganda against those who favor peaceful, constructive, and pragmatic relations with China, while those who appear interns and lapdogs of Washington are conveniently off the hook. Right, folks?

If Teodoro’s standard is that public officials with perceived foreign leanings must resign, then perhaps the country should prepare a very long queue because there are so many who are “Pro-Americans,” who treat U.S. talking points like morning prayers, obviously and allegedly including himself.

You know what folks, the real danger here is not simply Teodoro’s statement. It is the lazy labeling behind it. Supporting better Philippines-China relations is not automatically being “Pro-China.” To advocate diplomacy is NOT surrender. To oppose war hysteria is NOT treason. To criticize a blindly pro-US posture is NOT disloyalty. It may, in fact, be the more patriotic position if the goal is to keep the Philippines from becoming a disposable frontline state in someone else’s strategic game and interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

This is where Teodoro’s statement becomes politically theatrical. Here is a defense secretary calling for loyalty tests while questions about his own alleged Maltese citizenship and that of his immediate family, specifically his wife, continue to circulate and are in question.

The Department of National Defense says he renounced and surrendered it. Fine! Then show the complete paper trail. Show the formal renunciation. Show the surrender or cancellation records. Show the disclosures allegedly made to the Bureau of Immigration, Comelec, and the Commission on Appointments. If everything is clean, then transparency should be easy. Right, folks?

A passport controversy CANNOT be cured by shouting “Pro-China” at other people. A citizenship question is NOT answered by waving the South China Sea (SCS) dispute between the Philippines and China like a moral shield. And a public official who invokes loyalty must understand that loyalty is NOT a slogan. IT IS A STANDARD! The same standard must apply to him, to his family where relevant public appointments are concerned, and to every official who holds public trust.

This becomes even more controversial because his wife has also held public-facing appointments, including, accordingly, as special envoy to UNICEF. That does not make her guilty of anything. But it does mean that questions involving citizenship, allegiance, and public appointment should be addressed with clarity. If there are questions about the citizenship status of any family member of a top defense official or public envoy, the proper response is DISCLOSURE!

And yes, the irony is hard to miss. The man warning against “Pro-China” officials is himself widely perceived as one of the allegedly most pro-US voices in the current security establishment of Marcos Jr.’s administration.

So perhaps, the more honest rule should be this: all public officials who serve foreign interests over Philippine interests must resign, whether their compass points to Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, Canberra, Brussels, or anywhere else.

That would be a real test of patriotism! But if the test is only applied to Filipinos who want dialogue and good bilateral relations with China, then it is NOT patriotism. It is propaganda with a flag pin.

When a man like Gibo, standing under a cloud of citizenship questions, starts lecturing others about allegiance to the flag and country, the public may not hear the sermon; they may only see the mirror.

Perhaps Gibo should first prove, fully and publicly, that his own house is in unquestionable order. Because in national defense and as far as patriotism is concerned, loyalty to the flag and country is NOT a theatrical performance. IT IS PROVEN BY DEEDS!