Escudero denies proposing honorary UP degree for Duterte

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero. (Screengrab from a video by INQUIRER.net)

Sen. Francis Escudero said he did not propose to the University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents (BOR) to offer an honorary degree to President Rodrigo Duterte but neither did he object to it, citing the university’s tradition.

“I did not move but I did not object when it was proposed given that it is a UP tradition that Philippine heads of state, including the Chief Justice and Senate President, are offered honorary degrees when they are invited to be a commencement speaker, which is also a UP tradition,” Escudero, a BOR member, said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“Besides, almost every honorary degree offered by UP, most of the time, has been controversial and never unanimous,” he said. “I guess that too is part of UP’s long history and tradition.”

Still, Escudero said, it would be up to the conferee if he or she would accept the conferment.

“This is not given unilaterally and needs to be accepted before being conferred,” the senator said.

Escudero issued the statement following several reports pointing to him as the one who made the motion to offer a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, degree to Duterte.

The board’s decision was immediately met with criticisms from the UP community, who took to social media to express their outrage and disapproval, saying the President did not deserve the award and should be held accountable instead for the thousands of people killed in his bloody war on drugs.

READ: UP community blasts honorary degree for Duterte

Since it was already a tradition, Sen. Sonny Angara said the conferment was the “practical” thing to do for UP, which he said is “heavily dependent” on the state.

“Parang naging tradisyon na ito even President Erap, GMA, PNoy and now Duterte. And just like everything else at UP, it will be heavily debated to death even after it is over,” Angara, a UP alumnus, said in a text message.

He was referring to former Presidents Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroy, and Benigno Aquino III, who were all offered the same honorary degree.

“Some UP graduates are protesting it, “ Angara said. But he added: “It is the practical thing to do for UP, which is heavily dependent on state support as we all know.” /atm