Malacañang defends Marcos' honorary degree from PLM

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Monday hit back at those questioning the honorary Doctor of Laws degree recently conferred by the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

In a video message, Castro explained that “honoris causa” is an honorary degree bestowed upon a person who has attained a high-ranking position or has made significant contributions to a community or the nation.

“Marami kasi ang hindi nakakaunawa marahil ng katagang honoris causa. Ang mga tumutuligsa rito ay mga taong kung hindi man mapagmataas, ay mga kumakalaban sa Pangulo---the usual obstructionists at destabilizers, o ‘yung mga sumasakay lang sa nakikita sa social media, pero hindi nauunawaan ang totoong issue,” she said.

(Many perhaps don’t understand the term honoris causa. Those who criticize it are either arrogant people or those who oppose the President—the usual obstructionists and destabilizers, or simply those who jump on what they see on social media without understanding the real issue.)

“Ang titulong honoris causa ay isang honorary degree. Ito ay isang pagkilala o parangal para sa taong mataas ang naabot na posisyon, may mga mahahalagang naiambag sa komunidad o mga nagawa para sa bansa,” she added.

(The title honoris causa is an honorary degree. It is a form of recognition or an award bestowed upon an individual who has attained a high-ranking position and made significant contributions to the community or the nation.)

The Palace official emphasized that the honorary degree is not achieved through traditional education, by entering law school, or passing the Bar examinations.

She also underscored the need to clarify the matter for individuals being misled by others through fake news or sheer arrogance.

Marcos received the highest honorary degree conferred by the PLM---a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa---during the institution’s 58th commencement exercises on Thursday, August 27.

The President said he accepted the honor “with gratitude, mindful of the responsibility that comes with it.”

According to Castro, Filipinos should not forget the actions done by the President to be granted such a distinction, most especially maintaining the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea.

“Ang pagpaputol ng 300-meter floating barrier na inilagay ng China Coast Guard sa Scarborough Shoal noong September 2023 para harangin ang ating mangingisda na makapasok at makapangisda sa traditional fishing lagoon ay isang gawain ng isang matapat na leader,” she said.

(Ordering the removal of the 300-meter floating barrier installed by the Chinese Coast Guard at the Scarborough Shoal in September 2023 to block our fishermen from entering and fishing in the traditional fishing lagoon was an act of a good leader.)

Castro said that Marcos also respects human life and due process, and fights against the abuse of power. She pointed out that he even initiated investigations into corruption issues.

She also said the President has ensured the country would not run out of fuel supplies amid the Middle East crisis, and also secured fertilizer supplies to protect farmers.

“Ang masagip ang isang kababayan mula sa death row, sentensyang pinataw ng ibang bansa; pagsagip sa 17 OFW sa Qatar sa kasong illegal assembly, at sa 24 Filipinos na nakadetained sa Eastern Siberia sa Russia. Ito ay nagawa ng Pangulo dahil sa maganda niyang relasyon sa leaders ng Qatar at Russia,” she added.

(The President saved a fellow Filipino from death row—a sentence imposed by a foreign nation, and rescued 17 OFWs in Qatar facing illegal assembly charges, as well as 24 Filipinos detained in Eastern Siberia, Russia. The President made this possible through his strong relationships with the leaders of Qatar and Russia.)

Renee Co

Castro also slammed Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Co for questioning the conferment of the honorary degree on Marcos.

Co, a lawyer, said in a previous statement that there is "no honor in widespread corruption and criminal negligence" in the country.

She also said the conferment was an “insult” to lawyers.

“Nakalusot na nga si Marcos Jr. sa pandarambong ng pamilya niya, wala pang napapanagot na big-time kurakot sa malawakang korapsyon ng kaniyang gobyerno. This is what the rule of law looks like under his administration, and so the youth assert: the commander-in-thief does not deserve to hold a title that supposedly upholds and uplifts the law,” Co said.

(Marcos Jr. has managed to evade accountability for his family's plunder, and no high-level official has been held accountable for the widespread corruption in his administration.)

Castro, who is also a lawyer, said that it is inaccurate to equate the honoris causa with the academic degree earned by lawyers.

“Ang isa sa nakita natin bumatikos ay itong si Congressman Renee Co, na wala nang nakita magandang ginawa ng Pangulo. ‘Yan marahil ang kanilang goal, laging maging negatibo sa administrasyon. Ngunit ang pamimintas na ito sa ginawa ng PLM sa pagbibigay ng honoris causa sa pinakamataas na lider na bansa ay pagpapakita lamang ni Congressman Co ng kanyang kahinaan,” the Palace official said.

(One of the people we saw criticizing was Congressman Renee Co, who has never seen anything good the President has done. That is probably their goal, to always be negative about the administration. But this criticism only showed Congressman Co’s weakness.)

“Ang mga paninira, pagmamata, at pagmamaliit na ginawa nitong si Cong. Renee Co ay pagpapakita lamang kung ano ang natutunan niya at hanggang saan siya dinala ng kanyang natutunan. Sa aking pagkakaalam, hindi itinuturo sa law schools ang maging arugante at huwag niyang idamay ang lahat ng abugado dahil alam naming mga abugado na ang pagmamata ng kapwa, paninira ng walang basehan, ay hindi gawain ng matino at mahusay na abugado,” she added.

(The slander, criticisms, and belittling that Cong. Renee Co has been doing shows what she has learned and how far her learning has taken her. To my knowledge, law schools do not teach us to be arrogant. She should not generalize all lawyers because we know that good lawyers do not destroy others without basis.)

GMA News Online reached out to Co for a comment and will update this story once she responds.
—RSJ/RF, GMA News