Former Defense Sec. Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. is seeking a political comeback as he filed on Thursday his candidacy for senator under the party of the late Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago.
"My friends, heeding your valuable advice I filed my COC for Senator under the PRP of the revered Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago," Teodoro said in a statement, referring to the late senator's People's Reform Party.
Teodoro filed his candidacy through an authorized representative as he was isolating due to a positive COVID-19 test. He said he was in "good spirits."
READ: Why Gibo Teodoro is Staging a Political Comeback
Teodoro's name previously surfaced as among the possible running mates of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio should she run to succeed her father. He went to Davao City twice where he took his COVID-19 vaccine and met with the president's daughter.
"She (Duterte-Carpio) will be a good president if she decides to run. And to show that, I'm willing to back her up, I'll gladly be her vice president if she should so decide," Teodoro said in an earlier interview with ANC.
However, despite leading in presidential surveys, Duterte-Carpio opted to seek reelection as Davao City mayor and filed her candidacy on Oct. 2.
Teodoro ran for president in the 2010 elections under the Lakas-CMD party, where former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo serves as president emeritus. He served as defense secretary during the former president's administration.
He was also Tarlac congressman and led the Nationalist People's Coalition of his uncle, the late tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.