Humbled by his election loss in 2010, former defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro said he was breaking his decade-long hiatus from politics because he wants to be the running mate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, should she seek the presidency.
Teodoro said he was offering to the electorate his experience in the corporate boardroom and in government service and that fact that he is independent from a political party, like Duterte-Carpio.
"I see a potential leader, a youthful leader who can inspire the youth. And I would like to help this country, with a unifying leadership, go forward and recover as soon as possible," he told ANC.
"There's a need to bridge that gap and an experience on both sides of the aisle, I can bring to the fore. Secondly, both independence of mind. We don't have political parties. I am not a member a national political party anymore, neither does Mayor Sara," he added.
Teodoro, who lost his presidential bid in 2010, said he would gladly run as Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio's vice president next year. He went to Davao City last week to visit the president's daughter.
Recalling his failed presidential bid, Teodoro said, "Naturally losing is not an easy thing to go through. But it humbles you, it matures you, it makes you more realistic in life. And it opened up a lot of opportunities to be in the private sector, learning a lot."
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Teodoro ran under the Lakas-CMD party in 2010, 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.
He said he had no immediate plans of joining a political party.
"Right now I have independence of mind and thought and after 10 years, I do not want to be bound by pre-existing promises or conditions," he said.
Teodoro said Arroyo didn't play a role in her meeting with Duterte-Carpio last week.
"Panahon ngayon hindi magtanim ng sama ng loob. Ang dapat sama ng loob lang ay sa COVID. Walang iba. We can't afford it right now," he added.
