The Maguindanao massacre which grabbed world headlines has thrust former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. into a position where his credentials in law and order mark him out among the country’s presidential candidates.

In the online edition of the Wall Street Journal late last month, the newspaper’s opinion editor Brett Decker pointed out that except for Teodoro, who served as Secretary of National Defense and concurrent chief of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), none of the front-runners in the 2010 presidential derby has a solid background in law and order.

“There is…a possibility that continued erosion of safety in the streets could propel a dark-horse candidate to the top of the pack. One beneficiary would be former Defense Secretary Gilberto ‘Gibo’ C. Teodoro, Jr.,” Decker wrote.

Decker pointed to a “serious potential for escalation of the violence outside of clan warfare” and warned that “Islamist militias could step into the local power vacuum” in Central Mindanao after the hostility between warring supporters of President Arroyo erupted into violence last November 23. Decker said the volatile situation underscores the need for a leader competent in handling law and order problem.

The 1989 bar topnotcher and a Harvard-trained lawyer, Teodoro was the techno-savvy group’s top presidential choice during a simulated election done by Facebook where he gained a 58.69 percent rating.