# Secretary of National Defense (Philippines)

The Philippine secretary of national defense (Filipino: Kalihim ng Tanggulang Pambansa) is the head of the Philippine Department of National Defense and a member of the president's Cabinet.
The current secretary is former Philippine House representative of the Tarlac's 1st congressional district Gilbert Teodoro. He assumed office on June 5, 2023 and previously served the same position from August 2007 to November 2009.
Historically this cabinet position has been a stepping stone to the Philippine presidency. Two previous secretaries of national defense were elected president: Ramon Magsaysay and Fidel Ramos. Several others ran for the presidency: Alejo Santos, Juan Ponce Enrile, Renato de Villa, Norberto Gonzales and Gilbert Teodoro.

## Powers and functions

The 1987 Executive Order No. 292 gives the national defense secretary executive supervision of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Office of Civil Defense, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, the National Defense College of the Philippines, and the Government Arsenal.

## Revolutionary Government of the Philippines

Prior to the formation of the Department of National Defense in 1935, President Emilio Aguinaldo established the Department of War and Public Works that served similar functions.
| No. | Photo | Name | Term | Term | Term | President |
| No. | Photo | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | President |
| Secretary of War |||||||
| 1 | | Emiliano Riego de Dios | March 22, 1897 | December 15, 1897 | 268 days | Emilio Aguinaldo |
| Secretary of War and Public Works |||||||
| 2 | | Baldomero Aguinaldo | July 15, 1898 | January 2, 1899 | 171 days | Emilio Aguinaldo |
| Secretary of War and Public Works |||||||
| (2) | | Baldomero Aguinaldo | January 2, 1899 | May 6, 1899 | 124 days | Emilio Aguinaldo |
| 3 | | Mariano Trías | May 7, 1899 | March 23, 1901 | 1 year, 320 days | Emilio Aguinaldo |

## List of national defense secretaries

| No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Term | Term | President |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | President |
| Secretary of National Defense |||||||
| 1 | | Sison, TeófiloTeófilo Sison | November 1, 1939 | July 15, 1941 | 1 year, 256 days | Manuel Quezon |
| – | | Vargas, JorgeExecutive Secretary Jorge Vargas Acting | December 11, 1941 | December 22, 1941 | 11 days | Manuel Quezon |
| Secretary of National Defense, Public Works, Communications and Labor |||||||
| 2 | | Valdes, BasilioBasilio Valdes | December 23, 1941 | February 26, 1945 | 3 years, 65 days | Manuel Quezon Sergio Osmeña |
| 3 | | Cabili, TomasTomas Cabili | February 27, 1945 | July 11, 1945 | 134 days | Sergio Osmeña |
| Secretary of National Defense |||||||
| 4 | | Montelibano, AlfredoAlfredo Montelibano | July 12, 1945 | May 27, 1946 | 319 days | Sergio Osmeña |
| 5 | | Kangleon, RupertoRuperto Kangleon | May 28, 1946 | August 31, 1950 | 4 years, 95 days | Manuel Roxas Elpidio Quirino |
| 6 | | Magsaysay, RamonRamon Magsaysay | September 1, 1950 | February 28, 1953 | 2 years, 180 days | Elpidio Quirino |
| – | | Castelo, OscarOscar Castelo Acting | March 1, 1953 | December 30, 1953 | 293 days | Elpidio Quirino |
| – | | Magsaysay, RamonRamon Magsaysay Acting | January 1, 1954 | May 14, 1954 | 133 days | Himself |
| 7 | | Cabahug, SoteroSotero Cabahug | May 14, 1954 | January 2, 1956 | 1 year, 233 days | Ramon Magsaysay |
| 8 | | Balao, EulogioEulogio Balao | January 3, 1956 | August 28, 1957 | 1 year, 237 days | Ramon Magsaysay Carlos Garcia |
| 9 | | Vargas, JesusJesus Vargas | August 28, 1957 | May 18, 1959 | 1 year, 263 days | Carlos Garcia |
| 10 | | Santos, AlejoAlejo Santos | June 11, 1959 | December 30, 1961 | 2 years, 202 days | Carlos Garcia |
| 11 | | Peralta, MacarioMacario Peralta | January 1, 1962 | December 30, 1965 | 2 years, 202 days | Diosdado Macapagal |
| – | | Marcos, FerdinandFerdinand Marcos Acting | December 31, 1965 | January 20, 1967 | 5 years, 20 days | Himself |
| 12 | | Mata, ErnestoErnesto Mata | January 21, 1967 | February 3, 1970 | 3 years, 13 days | Ferdinand Marcos |
| 13 | | Ponce Enrile, JuanJuan Ponce Enrile | February 9, 1970 | August 27, 1971 | 1 year, 199 days | Ferdinand Marcos |
| – | | Marcos, FerdinandFerdinand Marcos Acting | August 28, 1971 | January 3, 1972 | 128 days | Himself |
| 13 | | Ponce Enrile, JuanJuan Ponce Enrile | January 4, 1972 | January 16, 1973 | 1 year, 12 days | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Minister of National Defense |||||||
| 13 | | Ponce Enrile, JuanJuan Ponce Enrile | January 17, 1973 | November 23, 1986 | 13 years, 310 days | Ferdinand Marcos |
| 14 | | Ileto, RafaelRafael Ileto | November 23, 1986 | February 11, 1987 | 80 days | Corazon Aquino |
| Secretary of National Defense |||||||
| 14 | | Ileto, RafaelRafael Ileto | February 11, 1987 | January 21, 1988 | 344 days | Corazon Aquino |
| 15 | | Ramos, FidelFidel Ramos | January 22, 1988 | July 18, 1991 | 3 years, 177 days | Corazon Aquino |
| 16 | | de Villa, RenatoRenato de Villa | July 20, 1991 | June 30, 1992 | 6 years, 57 days | Corazon Aquino Fidel Ramos |
| 17 | | Abat, FortunatoFortunato Abat | September 16, 1997 | June 30, 1998 | 287 days | Fidel Ramos |
| 18 | | Mercado, OrlyOrly Mercado | July 1, 1998 | Jan 29, 2001 | 2 years, 212 days | Joseph Estrada |
| – | | Ermita, EduardoEduardo Ermita Acting | Jan 26, 2001 | March 19, 2001 | 52 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 19 | | Reyes, AngeloAngelo Reyes | March 19, 2001 | August 29, 2003 | 2 years, 163 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| – | | Macapagal Arroyo, GloriaGloria Macapagal Arroyo Acting | September 1, 2003 | October 2, 2003 | 31 days | Herself |
| 20 | | Ermita, EduardoEduardo Ermita | October 3, 2003 | August 24, 2004 | 326 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 21 | | Cruz, AvelinoAvelino Cruz | August 25, 2004 | November 30, 2006 | 2 years, 97 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| – | | Macapagal Arroyo, GloriaGloria Macapagal Arroyo Acting | November 30, 2006 | February 1, 2007 | 63 days | Herself |
| 22 | | Ebdane, HermogenesHermogenes Ebdane | February 1, 2007 | July 2, 2007 | 151 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| – | | Gonzales, NorbertoNorberto Gonzales Acting | July 2, 2007 | August 6, 2007 | 35 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 23 | | Teodoro, GilbertGilbert Teodoro | August 7, 2007 | November 16, 2009 | 2 years, 101 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 24 | | Gonzales, NorbertoNorberto Gonzales | November 16, 2009 | June 30, 2010 | 226 days | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 25 | | Gazmin, VoltaireVoltaire Gazmin | June 30, 2010 | June 30, 2016 | 6 years, 0 days | Benigno Aquino III |
| 26 | | Lorenzana, DelfinDelfin Lorenzana | June 30, 2016 | June 30, 2022 | 6 years, 0 days | Rodrigo Duterte |
| – | | Faustino, JoseSenior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. Acting | June 30, 2022 | January 9, 2023 | 193 days | Bongbong Marcos |
| – | | Galvez, CarlitoSenior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. Acting | January 9, 2023 | June 5, 2023 | 147 days | Bongbong Marcos |
| (23) | | Teodoro, GilbertGilbert Teodoro | June 5, 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 253 days | Bongbong Marcos |
Notes:
* 1 2 3 4 5 Served in concurrent capacity as the President.