By Eva Callueng

Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo Cojuangco Teodoro, Jr., or Gibo Teodoro, may be referred to as one of a kind because of his rich political, professional and academic backgrounds. His being the unico hijo of the former SSS president Gilberto Teodoro and Batasang Pambansa Member Mercedes Cojuangco enabled him to get involved in the politics at an early age of 16. He served as the Kabataang Barangay President when he then became a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Tarlac.

Young Gibo finished his Basic Education level schooling at Xavier School in San Juan City. He finished his Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Financial Institutions degree in 1984 at the De La Salle University Manila. He continued his education at the University of the Philippines to pursue a degree in Law where he received the Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence in 1989. It was also in the same year that he topped the Philippine Bar exams and afterward passed the New York State Bar examinations in 1997. He completed his master’s degree at the Harvard Law School in Massachusetts. In addition, he was recently given the first honorary Doctor of Laws degree by West Negros University of Bacolod.

Gibo practiced his profession for seven years at the Estelito Mendoza Law Firm until he filed for his congressional candidacy at the first district of Tarlac in 1998. He completed three consecutive terms there under the National People’s Coalition. His record in Congress includes fighting for issues on human rights, economic development, and progress. After his terms, his wife Monica Louie “Nikki” Prieto-Teodoro continued the advocacy by running for the same post as first district representative of Tarlac. The political couple is blessed by a son, Jaime Gilberto.

Gibo holds a rank of colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve Force while being a licensed commercial pilot. He is the 34th and youngest Department of National Defense Secretary at the age of 43. His record shows that Gibo is determined and most concerned about the country’s security, as he is hands-on and serious about planning and managing disasters. He also serves as the concurrent Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council: we witnessed the greening of Gibo during the monstrous disasters of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

For the upcoming May 2010 elections, his presidential candidacy under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party was made possible after his resignation from his former party, NPC (months earlier, he signified an intention to run for the presidency). A secret voting held in September 16, 2009 launched Gibo as the administration’s party contender for the 2010 elections. Two months after Gibo’s launching, Lakas-Kampi-CMD President GMA resigned her post and handed over the leadership to Teodoro.

References:

http://gibo.ph/profile.aspx
http://www.pinoyprofile.com/gibo-teodoro/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilberto_Teodoro

Website: http://www.gibo.ph
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/giboteodoro?ref=s
Twitter: http://twitter.com/giboteodoro
Blog: http://www.gibotalino.ph/
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/giboteodoro