The Department of National Defense (DND) said the perjury complaint filed against Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is based on unverified allegations and lacks competent evidence.
Assistant Secretary Erik Dy, chief of the DND Legal and Legislative Affairs Service, said the complaint “appears to be built on unverified allegations” and improperly shifts the burden of proof to the State.
He said the complainants are asking the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office to establish facts they themselves have failed to substantiate.
“That is not how the justice system works. The burden of proof rests on those who make the accusation,” Dy said.
He added that a perjury complaint requires “competent evidence, not speculation, assumptions, or a fishing expedition in search of proof,” stressing that the allegations remain unproven without verified documentation.
The issue stems from past questions raised about Teodoro’s dual citizenship, which first surfaced in July last year.
DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong earlier said Teodoro had already surrendered and renounced his Maltese passport in 2021 before filing his certificate of candidacy for the 2022 elections.
Andolong also said Teodoro disclosed the matter to the Bureau of Immigration and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) prior to the polls, as well as to the Commission on Appointments before his confirmation as defense chief.
He added that the timing of the complaint suggests a possible political motive, although no further details were provided.