President Duterte has set the record straight — he will not be accepting the honorary doctorate degree in law being offered to him by the University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents (BOR).
According to Duterte, he would not be accepting the offer as it is his policy not to accept awards.
“With all due respect to the University of the Philippines, I do not accept,” he said.
“Even when I was mayor, ‘di tayo tumatanggap as a matter of personal and official policy. I do not accept awards. Wala sa pagkatao ko,” he added.
Malacañang has 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.
“Why not? It’s not something that he runs after. Well, if it’s offered, I suppose he would. But it doesn’t really matter if it’s offered or not,” he said.
All previous Philippine presidents have been conferred with the said degree aside from Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Manila Mayor Joseph Estada who turned the offer down.
Earlier this week, the UP BOR has offered Duterte the honorary doctor of laws degree as part of their tradition of conferring the said degree to Philippine presidents usually during their first year in office.
source: mb.com.ph