Bongbong Marcos camp stands by 'degree confirmation' from Oxford

The camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday maintained that the former senator obtained a degree from the University of Oxford.

“We stand by the degree confirmation which was issued by the University of Oxford. It is up to anyone to question or challenge this with the said university if they so please,” Marcos’ chief of staff Atty. Victor Rodriguez said in a statement.

The Marcos camp issued the statement after Oxford Philippines Society, a group of Filipino students and alumni of the prestigious foreign learning institution, expressed concern over what it called "continuing misinformation" as regards the former senator's academic achievements. 

"Bongbong Marcos did not obtain a Degree from Oxford, as confirmed by the University itself," the group said.

Rodriguez said that the presidential aspirant “has always been forthright on his conferment of a special diploma in social studies by the distinguished university and has never misrepresented his Oxford education.”

Oxford Philippines Society, however, said that a “Special Diploma is not a course of higher education leading to an undergraduate or first degree or even a master’s degree.”

“Bongbong Marcos did not finish his Degree… Bongbong Marcos has been awarded with a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978. A Special Diploma is not a degree, and neither is it comparable, superior nor equivalent to one,” the group noted.

The former senator filed his certificate of candidacy for President on October 6, a day after he took his oath as a member of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), a political party allied with the Duterte administration. —KG, GMA News