Duterte declines honorary doctorate degree from UP

President Duterte has set the record straight. He will not accept the honorary doctorate degree in law being offered to him by the University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents (BOR).

“With all due respect to the University of the Philippines, I do not accept,” he said, citing that it’s his own policy not to accept awards.

“Even when I was mayor, ‘di tayo tumatanggap (I do not accept anything) as a matter of personal and official policy. I do not accept awards. Wala sa pagkatao ko (It is not my personality),” he added.

Malacañang had earlier said that there is nothing wrong if Duterte accepts the UP’s offer to confer him with an honorary doctorate degree.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, it doesn’t matter if Duterte accepts it as the President is not after it.

All previous Philippine Presidents have been conferred with the said degree aside from former Presidents, Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada who turned the offer down.

Earlier this week, the UP Board of Regents offered Duterte the honorary doctor of laws degree as part of their tradition of conferring the degree to Philippine Presidents usually during their first year in office.

However, UP students and alumni took to social media their disappointment with the Board of Regents on their decision, citing Duterte’s alleged involvement in crimes against humanity due to deaths amid his brutal war against illegal drugs.

However, Abella said the backlash was already expected.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, on the other hand, said the ground for opposing the conferment is baseless as the so-called human rights violations remain as allegations.

Meanwhile, presidential son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte said his father “does not give a heck with any ‘honorary degree’ simply because he knows he did not work hard for such a degree.”

“Being elected as president is enough recognition. No other recognition or honorary degrees could eclipse that,” he said in a statement.

“Our family, though, thank the UP Board of Regents for even considering our father. Pero OK na akong papa (But my father is already OK for) being the President of the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.