MANILA, Philippines — Opposition leader and Vice President Leni Robredo called out senatorial bet and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos for supposedly being dishonest on her educational attainment.
Officials of Princeton University and University of the Philippines College of Law have earlier debunked the claims of Marcos that she earned degrees from these institutions.
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Robredo clarified that there is nothing wrong if Marcos did not graduate but lying about it was wrong.
"Iyong sa akin kasi, wala namang masama kung hindi nakapag-graduate, kasi maraming dahilan, at hindi naman iyong indispensable para makapagsilbi sa bayan. Pero iyong mali, iyong magsisinungaling tayo about it (To me, there is nothing wrong if you did not graduate, there are many reasons and it is not necessary for you to serve the country. What is wrong is that you are lying about it)," Robredo told reporters in Cagayan.
The vice president said that Marcos, who has been dodging questions about her academic credentials, should have just been honest.
"Kung totoo nga na hindi nag-graduate, maging upfront na lang, sabihin, 'Hindi ako naka-graduate, ito iyong dahilan' (If it is true that you did not graduate, just be upfront and say, 'I did not graduate, this is the reason')," the vice president said.
Hugpong ng Pagbabago head and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, on the other hand, has been defending Marcos for supposedly lying about her university degrees.
Duterte-Carpio earlier said Marcos would release a statement on the misrepresentation of her credentials but the senatorial candidate remains mum on the issue.
"Lahat sila sinungaling. Lahat ng tao sa mundong ito [ay] sinungaling (All of them [Otso Diretso] are liars. Everyone in this world is a liar),” Duterte-Carpio said.
In an earlier interview with News5, Marcos insisted that she graduated from Princeton University.
The Ivy League university has confirmed that Marcos attended the school but she did not graduate, according to a report from Interaksyon.
As for her supposed graduation from UP Law, journalist Raissa Robles posted in her blog excerpts of the account of former UP Law Dean Froilan Bacungan in an interview with German journalist Marilies von Brevern.
Bacungan revealed that he allowed Marcos, the eldest daughter of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to enter the College of Law despite failing to present proof that she had a bachelor's degree, which was a basic requirement.
"There was indeed some kind of a ceremony held which looked as if she graduated. I was there. It was a little bit PR that, strictly speaking, we should not have participated in," Bacungan said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray