MALACANANG on Thursday dismissed as “fake news” reports circulating online that Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has resigned.
The Palace assured the public that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. maintains full trust and confidence in the Defense Secretary.
In a statement, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cesar Chavez attributed the rumors, spread on social media, to “pathetic attempts” to sow discord within the defense sector.
“Rumors to the contrary are pathetic attempts to sow disunity in an organization united in protecting our people and defending our territory,” the PCO chief stated.
“Busy as they are with their mission, we should spare our fighting men of the corrosive politicking that has no place in their ranks,” he added.
The Department of National Defense (DND) also debunked rumors about Teodoro’s resignation.
“There is no truth to the rumor perpetrated by certain sectors online about the supposed resignation of Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. We call on those who purposely propagate unfounded lies to be circumspect and refrain from spreading misinformation and disinformation,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a message to reporters.
He also urged the public to be vigilant against misleading claims whose goal is to sow discord among Filipinos and divert attention from real challenges besetting the country.
Andolong said the DND chief and the entire agency are “focused squarely on boosting the nation’s capabilities to protect our territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
