Who is Gilbert Teodoro?

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Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo "Gilbert"/"Gibô" Cojuangco Teodoro Jr. (born June 14, 1964)[1] is a former Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, having assumed the post in August 2007 and resigning last November 15, 2009. 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.

Education

Teodoro completed his grade school and high school education at Xavier School.

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.

Political career

Congressman

From 1998 to 2007 he was a House Representative for the First District of Tarlac province. He assumed the position of Assistant Majority Leader in the 11th Congress and head of the Nationalist People's Coalition House members. He was also a member of the House contingent to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

Following his three terms in office—the maximum number allowed by the constitution—he was succeeded by his wife, Monica Prieto-Teodoro.

Secretary of National Defense

Teodoro was appointed Secretary of the Department of National Defense in August 2007 at the age of 43, the youngest person to ever hold the position.

2010 presidential candidate

In March 2009 he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 election.[2] Months earlier, he quit his old party Nationalist People's Coalition to join the merged administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD and cast his name in the ruling party's contenders for the 2010 elections.

On September 16, 2009, voting 42-5 through secret balloting, the executive committee of Lakas-Kampi officially selected Teodoro as their party's presidential standard bearer for the May 2010 elections, edging out the other nominee, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando. The announcement was made by Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio after a deliberation that lasted for approximately an hour.[3]

Head of Lakas-Kampi-CMD

On November 20, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced that she had resigned her post as president of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD and handed over the presidency to Teodoro.[4]

Personal life

Family

Teodoro 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. [5]

Teodoro is also the cousin of Noynoy Aquino. While Teodoro's mother, Mercedes Cojuangco, is the first cousin of Aquino's mother, former President Corazon Aquino, both families have always been on different sides of the political fence since 1960s. During the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Teodoro's father served as Social Security System administrator while Noynoy Aquino’s father, former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., was a leading opposition leader. [6]

Memberships

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.