Duterte says Roxas not a Wharton grad

MANILA, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday hit back on Liberal Party’s standard bearer, former Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II and told him his Wharton credential is a myth.

“He said that ito daw peace and order ng Davao City myth. I would like to ask the presidentiable, you claim to have graduated from Wharton School of Economics, that is a myth. You did not graduate sa Wharton School of Economics, Mr. Roxas,” Duterte said on his Sunday television program, “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa.”

Duterte was reacting to the reports that surface last Friday indicating that Roxas claimed “peaceful Davao” is a myth. Roxas cited a report from the Philippine National Police saying that about 18,119  crime-related incidents were recorded in Davao last year.

As Duterte commented on Roxas’s claims, he also dared his presidential rival to prove that he is indeed a graduate of Wharton School of Economics by releasing a graduation picture of him with his mother. He said he would only believe Roxas’s Wharton credentials if it only mentioned short courses and not a degree.

“Wala doon sa listahan na ikaw ay nakakumpleto ng four years or five years for a degree. Tanungin mo ang Wharton,” Duterte said.

“Maybe umenroll ka niyang three months course, ‘yang correspondence, I would believe that. Pero ikaw na nag-graduate naka-toga? Show me a [picture of you wearing a] toga na nandoon ‘yung nanay mo,” he added.

Duterte said Roxas has no right to say that Davao City’s peace and order is a myth as it should be up to the Davaoeños.

“Tapos sabihin mo sa akin na myth. It’s not for you to say that. It’s for the Davaoeños to tell that what it is all about. I never claimed to be the author,” he said.

The mayor said that Roxas was supposed to know the situation in Davao City as he is the former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary handling the police.

Duterte also challenged Roxas to conduct survey within Camp Crame and said that if Roxas won the survey he will withdraw his presidential candidacy and campaign for him.

“Akala ko ba ikaw yung DILG? Kami operations lang. I do not even have the copy of blotter everyday or the journal. Ikaw yung may hawak ng pulis. Either binola ka ng pulis mo or you were treated as a trash by the police,” Duterte said.

“Kaya magpasurvey ka sa Crame kung manalo ka magwithdraw ako tapos kakampanyahan kita,” he added.

Duterte alleged that Roxas started the black propaganda by spreading the news that he has cancer which angered his children.

Before ending his show, Duterte mentioned that Roxas is incapable of handling stress, citing that he witnessed him during the onslaught of Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013.

“Mr. Roxas you cannot handle stress that I can tell the Filipino people,” he said.

Roxas was a Bachelor of Science in Economics graduate from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1979 and is included in the official university archives webpage as one of the university's  notable alumni: http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/notables/political/pennworld.html.

“This roster of men and women who have served in notable positions in foreign governments has been researched, compiled and presented by Scott W. Hawley (B.A., 1992; B.S. in Econ., 1992) in partnership with the University Archives and Records Center published August 2002 and updated July 2002,” the official archive list stated.