26 January, 2016, 2:30 am – THE CAMP of United Nationalist Alliance presidential bet Jejomar
Binay has issued a clarification on his graduate studies in UST.
In a letter posted as a comment on the Varsitarian‘s
Facebook post last Jan. 22, Joselito Salgado of the Office of the Vice
President’s Media Affairs Division said Binay never claimed to have earned a
master of laws degree from UST.
“The official biography of Vice President Binay, as posted
[on] the website of the Office of the Vice President, clearly stated that he
‘took masteral subjects’ at the University of Santo Tomas. Nowhere did it claim
that the Vice President earned a master’s degree from UST,” he said.
“The official curriculum vitae of the Vice President also
indicated that he ‘academically completed’ his master of laws. This means, he
completed his major and minor subjects but owing to his schedule as a human
rights lawyer during Martial Law, he was unable to finish his thesis or
dissertation,” he added.
The Varsitarian earlier
conducted a check on the vice president’s UST records, and was told by the
Registrar’s Office that Binaytook master’s subjects in law in the University,
but was not able to finish his studies and attain the degree. The story also
referred to the the vice president’s website and curricula vitae posted on
two other government websites.
Binay was enrolled in UST from the second semester of academic year
1976-1977 to the second semester of academic year 1979-1980, according to the
Registrar’s Office.
The Varsitarian’s story was an effort to verify information in
an article published by the Philippine Star and a profile on TV5’s Bilang
Pilipino, both of which said Binay earned a master’s degree from UST.
“Vice President Binay feels it a privilege to have studied at the Royal
and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas. From its hallowed ground did he learn
to take to heart the Dominican motto of sacrifice, dedication and love. This
motto affirms his life’s mission of serving the people, especially those who
are poor and have less in life,” Salgado said. P. X. J. C.
Bernardo
