Philippines’ China hawk defence chief open to 2028 presidential showdown with V-P Duterte

MANILA – Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said he is open to a presidential run in 2028, potentially pitting the China hawk against current Vice-President Sara Duterte.“If I have a chance, maybe. If I don’t, forget it,” Teodoro said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Oct 30.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr cannot run for re-election because of term limits.Teodoro has been among the most vocal critics of China’s military buildup in the South China Sea. Beijing slapped sanctions on him earlier in 2026, barring him from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.Teodoro has also been at the forefront of the Philippines’ efforts to strengthen its defence alliance with the US. Under his watch, the Philippines has hosted American weaponry and implemented the expansion of US forces’ access to military sites near two regional flashpoints: Taiwan and the South China Sea.Teodoro also said the Philippines’ next leadership should be cautious about Chinese money, recalling how the previous administration of Rodrigo Duterte built closer ties with Beijing.“There was accommodation already, not merely cooperation,” Teodoro said. “What happened? We were suddenly populated internally by illegal Chinese activities in the guise of investments.”To be sure, he added that not all Chinese investments were bad, particularly “those that have undergone appropriate due diligence processes”. But he did caution investments on critical infrastructure “because we have a national dispute with an aggressive neighbour”.Duterte’s daughter, Sara, is the leading candidate for the next election. She is currently facing an impeachment trial in the Senate, which could bar her from politics for life if convicted.Teodoro met with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth this week in Cebu City, where they agreed to fast-track the Philippine military’s modernisation. The meeting was held on the sidelines of a summit among South-east Asia’s defence chiefs, where the US pushed for a defence cooperation framework as it counters China’s presence in the region. BLOOMBERG