Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo “Gilbert”/”Gibo” Cojuangco Teodoro Jr. (born June 14, 1964[1]) is the current Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, having assumed the post in August 2007. From 1998 to 2007 he was a member of the House of Representatives, representing the First District of Tarlac province. In March 2009 he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 elections.
He is the only child of former Social Security System administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. and former Batasang Pambansa member Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro. He is also the nephew of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr., chairman of San Miguel Corporation.
Secretary Teodoro, who holds distinct memberships in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, UP Alumni Association, UP Law Alumni Association, Harvard Alumni Association and the Harvard Law Alumni Association, is also a licensed commercial pilot and a Colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve.
He also made a cameo appearance in the primetime soap opera Tayong Dalawa.
Teodoro spent his elementary and high school years at Xavier School. Shortly after completing high school, he was elected President of the Kabataang Barangay for Tarlac in 1980 and concurrently assumed Presidency of the Kabataang Barangay for Central Luzon until 1985. He also became a member of the Sanguniang Panlalawigan of Tarlac from 1980 to 1986.
Teodoro attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from De La Salle University in 1984. In 1989, he completed his law studies at the University of the Philippines, where he was awarded the Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence. In the same year, he topped the Philippine Bar exams.
For seven years, he honed his skills as a lawyer in the EP Mendoza Law firm. He went to the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts for his Master of Laws and completed it in 1997. He was also admitted to the State Bar of New York during the same year.
Other Information
- Name : Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo
- Also known as : “Gilbert”/”Gibo” Cojuangco Teodoro Jr.
- Birthday : June 14, 1964
- Birthplace : Manila, Philippines
- Nationality : Filipino
- Schools Attended :
- Elementary education, Xavier School
- High school education, Xavier School
- Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, De La Salle University (1984)
- Law studies, University of the Philippines (1989)
- Master of Laws, Harvard Law School Cambridge, Massachusetts (1997)
- Spouse : Monica Prieto-Teodoro
- Children :
- Jaime
- Occupation : Lawyer
Career Highlights
- Philippine Secretary of National Defense, Incumbent (August 3, 2007)
- Representative, First District of Tarlac (1998 – 2007)
Affiliations
- Member, Integrated Bar of the Philippines
- Member,University of the Philippines Alumni Association
- Member, University of the Philippines Law Alumni Association
- Member, Harvard Alumni Association
- Member, Harvard Law Alumni Association
- Honorary member, Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association
- Honorary member, Philippine Air Force AC AA
- Chairman, Philippine National Police Foundation Inc.
- Colonel, Philippine Air Force Reserve – Colonel
- Lecturer, National Defense College
- Regular assistant professor, Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Command and Staff Course
- Secretary, Department of National Defense
Faustino Dy, Sr.