Marilyn Cahatol

The Commission on Appointments confirms the selection of Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. as secretary of the Department of National Defense in Pasay City on September 13, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

CA confirms Teodoro Appointment

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro confirmed on Tuesday that the Department of National Defense (DND) has not entered into new contracts with Israeli arms manufacturers, but the Philippine Army continues to procure munitions from an Israel-based weapons dealer, as part of earlier acquisitions.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:560px;height:316px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1967884675118145622&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring&amp;sessionId=ae8492dd70c5f4317326953db5dac74c3026cd7d&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1967884675118145622"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>Speaking during the House Committee on Appropriations budget hearing, Teodoro explained the Army’s situation.</p><p>“Right now, it&#x27;s just the continuing of past contracts. We have no new contracts with any Israel-based companies. Our issue is to secure our supply chains with them. Right now that they are involved in a conflict, I myself won&#x27;t be comfortable that they will put a contract on par with their own needs,” he said.</p><p>However, Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Louise Co flagged a notice of award to Elbit Systems dated August 11, 2025, amounting to P248 million for the procurement of precision-guided projectiles.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/15/afp-welcomes-p40b-for-modernization-in-proposed-2026-national-budget-1457?fbclid=IwY2xjawMPdfBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhYgFUBdHPzy_LDMLl_tMdQqAvl85xEHc9RppYK2x2SxDRQZBTMZCwspUGes_aem_xqX3dkuO4d79Dn3jZjce8A">AFP welcomes P40B for modernization in proposed 2026 national budget</a></div><p>She questioned the DND on the matter, stressing humanitarian concerns that the same munitions were being used in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.</p><p>“Iyong pera na binibigay po natin sa Elbit Systems, it&#x27;s the same one that funds the genocide and the ongoing slaughter of Gazans, Palestinians,” Co said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/16/un-investigators-say-israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-1510">UN investigators say Israel committing genocide in Gaza</a></div><p>Teodoro clarified that the transaction was part of sustaining existing military platforms, not new acquisitions. The defense chief also admitted the Army has little choice but to sustain the platforms acquired in 2022.</p><p>“Right now, we&#x27;re stuck with the systems. Walang kapalit. And to acquire the same systems will require a substantial allocation from the modernization. So it was deemed wiser just to continue with the existing systems,” Teodoro noted.</p><p>He further stressed the need to rethink how the government contracts with foreign suppliers.</p><p>“It was a lesson learned for us also in who we contract with, how we contract with, and what we write down on a contract. So, right now, we&#x27;re in no position to decommission the capabilities, and because of the arrangement that was made before, which was probably good at the time, we&#x27;re now stuck with it,” Teodoro said.</p><p>Despite the clarification, Co urged the defense agency to “question and even exit this continuing contract given the concerns that we (Rep. Renee Co) raised on record.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/27/2026-national-budget-set-at-p6-793-trillion-1021">2026 national budget set at P6.793 trillion</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pbAxiBUAZ5c?si=Z3ISSWa_H4bDbrqr" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>A solon questioned the DND on the matter, stressing humanitarian concerns that the same munitions were being used in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.</p>

A solon questioned the DND on the matter, stressing humanitarian concerns that the same munitions were being used in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

Teodoro: No new Israeli defense contracts but PH Army ‘stuck’ with Israeli supplier

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Teodoro: No new Israeli defense contracts but PH Army ‘stuck’ with Israeli supplier

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 16, 2025 08:33 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

Budget Hearing

Department of National Defense

DND

Gilbert Teodoro

Renee Co

Gaza

Palestine

Israel

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