Duterte insists Mar is not a Wharton graduate

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night insisted that one of his presidential rivals, Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas, is lying about his academic background.

"That's my simple truth na hindi talaga siya sa Wharton," Duterte told reporters after a dinner meeting with congressmen members of the National Unity Party in Quezon City.

Duterte said that after hearing Roxas "boast" about being an alumnus of Wharton, he had it checked.

"We had it checked actually. Si Mar, [sa] University of Penn. Undergrad siya don, he was taking special courses. Ang wharton kasi pala is MBA, masters 'yan. Di siya pumunta roon. He was never there, but he was using Wharton," the mayor insisted.

He said that during the meeting with NUP, two congressmen who went to Wharton told him that they did not see Roxas in the prestigious school.

"Pero meron dito, I will not reveal the names, dalawang congressman na nagpunta ng Wharton. Sabi nila hindi talaga nila nakita. Sabi nila hindi talaga," he added.

Duterte said that his revelation against Roxas' claim that he was a Wharton graduate could be the reason why the LP bet has been challenging him to a slapping match and a fistfight.

"Uminit si Mar kasi in all of the previous speeches sinabi niya Wharton... Kaya uminit siya siguro napahiya o nabuko. Kaya ganon," the mayor said.

He added that a lot of people are also now saying that Roxas should not say that he is a Wharton alumnus, but a UPenn graduate.

Replying to Duterte's claim, Roxas said that he will ask Wharton School to confirm that he is an alumnus.

He said he will allow Duterte to slap him if it was proven that he is not a Wharton graduate, but said that he will have to slap the mayor if he proves that he is a graduate of the prestigious business school.

Rebecca  Ricalde, a digital commerce executive who was a member of the Wharton MBA Class of 2011, told GMA News Online that undergraduates can claim to be Wharton graduates.

"Undergrads can definitely claim to be Wharton grads. In fact, the undergrad is maybe more competitive than the MBA program," Rebecca Ricalde.

The Wharton School has confirmed to GMA News Research that Roxas graduated in the school in 1979 with an economics degree. —ALG, GMA News