MANILA, Philippines – Gawa-gawa lamang umano ni Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas na nagtapos siya sa international school na Wharton School of Economics, ayon sa makakalaban niya sa pagkapangulo Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
“I would like to ask the presidentiable, you claim to have graduated from Wharton School of Economics, that is a myth. You did not graduate sa Wharton School of Economics, Mr. Roxas,” pahayag ni Duterte sa kaniyang lingguhang programa sa telebisyon na “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa.”
Nag-ugat ang girian ng dalawang presidential aspirant matapos sabihin ni Roxas na hindi naman talaga mapayapa sa nasasakupa ni Duterte base sa ulat ng Philippine National Police (PNP).
Lumabas sa crime-related incidents ng PNP noong nakaraang taon na umabot sa 18,119 ang bilang ng krimen sa Davao City.
“Wala doon sa listahan na ikaw ay nakakumpleto ng four years or five years for a degree. Tanungin mo ang Wharton,” patuloy ng alkalde.
“Maybe umenroll ka niyang three months course, ‘yang correspondence, I would believe that. Pero ikaw na nag-graduate naka-toga? Show me a [picture of you wearing a] toga na nandoon ‘yung nanay mo.”
Sinabi ni Duterte na walang karapatang si Roxas na kuwestiyunin ang kapayapaan sa Davao.
“Tapos sabihin mo sa akin na myth. It’s not for you to say that. It’s for the Davaoeños to tell that what it is all about. I never claimed to be the author.”
Hinamon din ni Duterte si Roxas na dating Interior and Local Government Secretary na magpa-survey sa crame kung sino ang mananalo sa kanila.
Sinab ni Duterte na kung manalo si Roxas ay iaatras niya ang kaniyang kandidatura sa 2016.
“Akala ko ba ikaw yung DILG? Kami operations lang. I do not even have the copy of blotter everyday or the journal. Ikaw yung may hawak ng pulis. Either binola ka ng pulis mo or you were treated as a trash by the police,” banggit ng alkalde.
“Kaya magpasurvey ka sa Crame kung manalo ka magwithdraw ako tapos kakampanyahan kita,” dagdag ni Duterte.
Samantala, lumabas sa website ng Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania na nagtapos si Roxas ng Bachelor of Science in Economics noong 1979, kung saan isa siya sa mga “notable alumni.”
“This roster of men and women who have served in notable positions in foreign governments has been researched, compiled and presented by Scott W. Hawley (B.A., 1992; B.S. in Econ., 1992) in partnership with the University Archives and Records Center published August 2002 and updated July 2002.”