Marcos denies defense chief Teodoro quit
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. denied rumors about the alleged resignation of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., emphasizing that there will be no changes among the cabinet members.
"Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake, that's fake news," Marcos said as he laughed off reports of alleged resignation of the defense secretary in an interview on Thursday.
"We don't mind it, because it is not true. I have always said this, with some of these rumors that have spread around, we have the advantage. We know the truth. So we will give it to you as soon as we can and as quickly as we can so that people understand what is going on," he said.
Marcos assures that the government will make an official announcement in case there are any changes among its members.
"Presently, as of today, there are no changes," he said.
In a statement, Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong also noted that "there is no truth to the rumor perpetrated by certain sectors online about the supposed resignation" of Teodoro.
"We call on those who purposely propagate unfounded lies to be circumspect and refrain from spreading misinformation and disinformation. Secretary Teodoro and the Department of National Defense are focused squarely on boosting the nation's capabilities to protect our territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said.
"We urge the public to be vigilant against misleading claims that aim to sow discord among the Filipino people and divert our attention from the real challenges that beset our country," Andolong added. Robina Asido/DMS