Pres. Duterte did right in declining UP award

We read in the news that Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairwoman, Ms. Patricia Licuanan, cochairwoman of the UP Board of Regents, confirmed that the body has agreed to offer to President Rodrigo Duterte the degree Honoris Causa. The CHED chairwoman pointed out that this was "in keeping with tradition, the UP will confer an honorary degree on the President. President Duterte has yet to accept."

However even before Duterte could either accept or decline the honorary degree, students, alumni, and other members of the UP community opposed the decision of its administration to offer the president an honorary doctor of laws degree even if they are doing it according to UP tradition. Student regent Raoul Manuel, a member of the UP Board of Regents, said, "Honors must not be given to a president that declares all-out war against his people to quell their struggle for just and lasting peace, and re-imposes death penalty to legitimize the killing of the poor."

Mr. Manuel added, "Moreover, it is ironic that a university, which has then and now fought against state fascism, will now recognize a president that allowed the burial of (Ferdinand) Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani - much against the will of the Filipino people." Mr. Manuel is the student representative to the 11-member BOR, the highest policymaking body of UP. Frankly speaking, tradition or not, I would like to believe that bestowing such an honorary degree on the president who has not yet been at the helm of the government for a year is in my book a premature move. But then the opponents of this move are saying that what Pres. Duterte should get is a "doctor of loss, honoris cursing." Of course this is a joke and apparently Pres. Duterte doesn't want to play into their joke, which is why the president issued a statement the other day formally declining the offer of UP.

In declining the offer of UP, Pres. Duterte said "with due respect to the University of the Philippines, I do not accept (awards). Even when I was mayor, I do not accept awards as a matter of personal and official policy. Wala sa pagkatao ko (It goes against my personality)." Pres. Duterte clarified that he is declining but not rejecting the offer. "To use the word 'reject' is not good. I simply declined." This should end the ruckus in UP!

But allow me to say that the statement of presidential son and Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte who defended his father was very appropriate. Paolo said, "To the so-called learned individuals who frown upon the plan of the University of the Philippines to grant an honorary doctorate degree to the president, you can have that honorary degree for all we care. Given that and knowing my father, he does not give a heck with any honorary degree simply because he knows he did not work hard for such a degree. He has always been a simple man, satisfied with what he has and works hard to make a difference not just for his family but for the Dabawenyos and now the Filipino nation."

Honestly, I already knew in my heart that Pres. Duterte would decline this offer because he has already declined similar offers when he was Davao City Mayor. Pres. Duterte is the kind of person who accepts awards that he believes that he is deserving of. Apparently we read in the news report that in 2011, UP also conferred the same Honoris Causa to Pres. Benigno "PNoy" Aquino III and he accepted the offer and delivered the commencement address in UP Diliman that year.

In fairness to those who opposed giving the award to Pres. Duterte, several groups also protested the decision of UP to offer the award to Aquino. I remember writing also my opposition to giving Aquino that award. But then, this nonperformer in Congress and the Senate accepted it, as Aquino is the kind of person who believes in entitlements attached to the Office of the President.

For the record, Pres. Duterte is not the first to decline the UP offer. I gathered that former presidents Joseph Estrada and Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo were also offered honorary degrees by the university, but they both declined this offer. So hopefully this should be the end of this brouhaha! can be accessed through www.philstar.com.