Gatchalian asks CHEd: Probe ‘sale’ of degrees to foreign students

FILE PHOTO: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian during a September 22, 2023, Senate hearing. Gatchalian asked the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) on Thursday, April 18, 2024, to investigate and sanction people allegedly selling diplomas or degrees to foreign students in the country. He made the call following reports that some Chinese students in Cagayan are paying P2 million to obtain their degrees. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIرO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian asked the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) on Thursday to investigate and sanction people allegedly selling diplomas or degrees to foreign students in the country.

He made the call following reports that some Chinese students in Cagayan are paying P2 million to obtain their degrees.

“CHEd must impose appropriate penalties or sanctions on HEIs (higher education institutions) and their officials who condone such practices,” Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on basic education, said in a statement.

“We should send a clear message to our country and the world: diplomas from Philippine HEIs are not for sale,”  he said.

READ: Some Chinese students in Cagayan allegedly pay P2 million to get degrees

While he said he supports the  “internationalization” of the Philippines’ HEIs,  the senator expressed his  strong opposition to “allowing the proliferation of diploma mills in our country.”

“Selling diplomas or degrees undermines our efforts to improve the quality of education in the country,” he pointed out.

READ: AFP checking implications of increasing Chinese students in Cagayan

The alleged sale of degrees in Cagayan was revealed by University of the Philippines Professor Chester Cabalza, citing information from local professors in the province.

“It seems that Chinese students in Cagayan universities and colleges are said to have been paying P2 million to obtain degrees,” Calabaza was quoted as saying.

And many of these students, he added, were not even attending classes.

For Senator Francis Escudero, Cabalza himself should file a complaint so CHEd can look into his claim.

“A complaint is necessary, I believe, as this is an ‘academic freedom’ issue that can have a serious push back against government regulators with oversight function over tertiary schools,” said Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on higher education.

Senate Minority Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III echoed his colleagues’ sentiment on the controversy.

“[It’s a matter] for CHEd to check and to be strict about,” Pimentel said.