Perjury, falsification of public documents complaints filed vs Gibo Teodoro

Complaints for perjury and falsification of public documents were filed against Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. before the Pasay Prosecutors Office on Thursday.

According to the report of Super Radyo dzBB’s Luisito Santos, the complainants’ joint complaint affidavit questioned Teodoro’s citizenship, claiming the defense secretary had a Maltese citizenship and passport.

Although Teodoro already renounced his Maltese citizenship in 2021, one of the complainants claimed there’s no proof the Maltese government acknowledged it.

The complainants asked the prosecution to form a case build-up to look into and verify the official records pertaining to Teodoro’s citizenship. They are also seeking for certified true copy of documents that will prove Teodoro’s denouncement of his Maltese citizenship.

For its part, the DND slammed the complaints filed against Teodoro.

“The complaint filed against the Secretary of National Defense appears to be built on unverified allegations, and attempts to shift the burden of proof to the State by requesting the Office of the Pasay City Prosecutor and other government agencies to establish the very facts the complainants themselves failed to prove. That is not how the justice system works,” said DND Assistant Secretary Erik Dy in a statement.

“The burden of proof rests on those who make the accusation. A complaint for perjury requires competent evidence, not speculation, assumptions, or a fishing expedition in search of proof. Until credible and verified evidence is presented, these claims remain nothing but unproven accusations,” he added. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News