MANILA — The conferment of an honorary law degree on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has drawn criticism from Kabataan party-list’s Cong. Renee Co, who questioned whether the distinction is consistent with the principles of accountability and the rule of law that the legal profession is expected to uphold.
Co, the House assistant minority leader, assailed the decision of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) to bestow its highest honorary degree on Marcos during the university’s commencement exercises at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday.
She argued that the recognition sends the wrong message to law students and aspiring lawyers preparing for the 2027 Bar examinations, particularly amid allegations of corruption and abuses involving the Marcos administration and family.
“This is not a good example for our examinees rigorously studying law just days before the 2027 Bar examinations,” Co said.
The lawmaker maintained that Marcos should not be presented as a model of adherence to the rule of law while questions over alleged corruption and accountability involving his family and administration remain unresolved.
Co also described the conferment as an affront to lawyers who spent years studying and practicing law, particularly those who have devoted their profession to defending vulnerable and marginalized sectors.
She further questioned the recognition in light of PLM’s own history, citing students who were killed during the dictatorship of Marcos’ late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Co also pointed to what she described as abuses under the current administration and accused the Marcos government of failing to hold major personalities accountable over allegations of corruption.
For the lawmaker, granting the honorary degree to the President reflected what she characterized as an erosion of the principles of accountability and the rule of law.
Co said the youth sector rejects Marcos’ receipt of an honorary title that, in her view, should symbolize respect for the law and the ideals of the legal profession.
PLM conferred the honorary law degree on Marcos during its commencement exercises on Thursday./PN
