Presidential aspirant Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos on Saturday maintained that he graduated from the prestigious University of Oxford in 1978.
He made the statement in a radio interview for presidential aspirants in the upcoming elections.
"Well, naipakita ko na ang diploma ko. It is a degree course. So yeah, naggraduate ako sa Oxford," Marcos said.
[Well, I have already shown my diploma. It is a degree course. So yeah, I graduated from Oxford.]
In October last year, the University of Oxford confirmed that Marcos Jr. failed to finish his degree and therefore did not graduate from the university in 1978.
“We can confirm that a Ferdinand Marcos matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1975 to read for a BA in Philosophy, Philosophy, and Economics. According to our records, he did not complete his degree but was awarded a special diploma in social studies in 1978," said Cathy King, private secretary to the registrar at Oxford University, in an email.
The email was sent to Filipino artist Ruston Banal who inquired with Oxford about Marcos' education there. He shared the content of the email with several media outlets.
When asked what is a special diploma, King said it is available for both undergraduates and graduates and is comparable to any online course available on the internet.
“The special diploma, which the university no longer offers, was open to both undergraduates and graduates,” wrote King.
However, Marcos' chief of staff and spokesperson Atty. Victor Rodriguez insisted that their camp “stands by the Degree confirmation which was issued by the University of Oxford” for the former senator.
