The camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been consistent in claiming that the former senator was an Oxford “graduate.”
However, in a Facebook post, the Religious of the Good Shepherd Philippines-Japan shared a photo of a letter from the University of Oxford dated April 20, 1983, saying that Marcos Jr. only “matriculated” in 1975 at the university to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
The letter, which was addressed to one of the religious organization’s sisters as a reply to a query regarding the veracity of Marcos Jr.’s credentials, also said the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos did not complete his preliminary examinations and is not therefor a graduate of the of the prestigious university.
“It follows that he does not hold any degree,” the letter added.
Meanwhile, the university said Marcos Jr. was awarded a special diploma in Social Studies in 1978.
According to the Religious of the Good Shepherd, it posted the letter to “contribute to a more factual dialogue concerning the future of the country” amid the upcoming 2022 polls.
The group said one of their sisters sent a letter to the university that year because Marcos Jr. assumed role as a governor of Ilocos Norte. The group said the sister saw a news clipping that prompted her to send a letter to Oxford.
“As a religious congregation with ministries in education and residential care for children and women, we owe it to our students and youth to know the facts. We urge the public to engage in meaningful conversations while maintaining an objective allegiance to the truth,” the group said.
“As had already been pointed out by many others, the issue is not the educational attainment but the value of honesty that we expect no less with anyone aspiring for the highest position of power in our country,” it added.
No ‘full graduate diploma’
In a separate reply to GMA News Online’s inquiry, Oxford said Marcos Jr. did not receive a full graduate diploma more than 40 years ago.
“We can confirm that a Ferdinand Marcos matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1975 to read for a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. According to our records, he did not complete his degree, but was awarded a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978,” Oxford said in an email.
The special diploma, which the university no longer offers, was open to both undergraduates and graduates.
GMA News Online already reached out to Marcos Jr.’s camp regarding the post but it has yet to respond as of posting time.
His camp has maintained that he 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.
It 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.
Marcos Jr. 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, a political party allied with the Duterte administration.—LDF, GMA News
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