Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said he’s 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,” Mr. Teodoro said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Friday. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can’t run for re-election then because of term limits.
Mr. Teodoro has been among the most vocal critics of China’s military buildup in the South China Sea. Beijing slapped sanctions on him earlier this year, barring him from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
The defense chief has also been at the forefront of the Philippines’ efforts to strengthen its defense alliance with the US. Under his watch, the Southeast Asian nation 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.
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