News Briefs: September 14, 2018

Binay seeks court permission for Italy pilgrimage

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay has sought the Sandiganbayan’s permission to go on a half-month pilgrimage to Italy. In a five-page motion, Binay asked to be allowed to leave the country from Sept. 28 to Oct. 13, citing the “necessity … to travel to Italy for his spiritual endeavors.” Binay is facing graft and falsification charges in the court’s Third and Fifth Divisions in connection with the alleged bid-rigging for the P2.29-billion Makati City Hall Parking Building II and the P1.35-billion Makati Science High School project. Explaining that he never jumped bail during his previous overseas trips, Binay said he was not a flight risk because “he is a highly respected citizen of the country.” He would be traveling to the cities of Rome, Assisi, Padua, Venice, Turin and Florence.—VINCE F. NONATO

CHEd voids doctorate degree grant to actor Daniel Matsunaga

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) on Wednesday warned colleges and universities not registered and acknowledged as higher education institutions by the agency to stop conferring special honors and degrees to individuals. The warning came after the CHEd learned that Brethren Evangelical School of Technology (BEST) in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, had conferred an honorary doctorate degree in humanities, major in social work (honoris causa), to Japanese-Brazilian actor Daniel Matsunaga. In a statement, CHEd chief Prospero de Vera III said the school did not apply for an authority to operate from CHEd. He said BEST violated CHEd’s Memorandum Order No. 19 or the Enhanced Policies and Guidelines on the Conferment of Honorary Doctorate Degrees.—JODEE A. AGONCILLO