President Rodrigo Duterte made a false claim when he said he does not accept awards.
STATEMENT
In a speech Nov. 27, during the inauguration of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Duterte said:
“Kaya ako hindi ako nag-a-accept ng award (That’s why I don’t accept awards). I never accept awards. You know why? Because I tell them that you know, you paid me for my services. Why do you have to award me? For what? About the only award that I accepted in my life, ‘yung award sa eskwelahan ko (was the one from my school).
Source: PCOO, Speech during the inauguration of Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Nov. 27, 2018, watch from 19:37-20:05
FACT
The president accepted the Man of the Year 2016 from the Manila Times on Feb. 10, 2017, saying in his speech it was an exception to his “personal and official policy not to accept awards all these years:”
“I do not accept awards except this one… I made it as a personal and official policy not to accept awards all these years.”
Source: RTVM, Speech of President Rodrigo Duterte at the Manila Times 5th Business Forum, Feb. 11, 2017, watch from 9:13-9:52.
Days later, on Feb. 23, he was bestowed the Knight Grand Cross of Rizal Rank, the highest form of recognition given to an individual by civic organization Knights of Rizal, for his “unprecedented victory as President and restoring people’s faith in government.”
Duterte also accepted the award and said the recognition was “truly humbling:”
“Your conferment upon me today of the Knight Grand Cross of Rizal, the highest degree which the Knights of Rizal could gift any person with, is truly humbling… I can only hope that I do justice to the award that you bestow upon me today.”
Source: RTVM, 21st International Assembly and Conference of the Knights of Rizal, Feb. 23, 2017
Among the awards and recognition the president has shunned in the past is the honorary doctorate conferred by the University of the Philippines in April 2017.
Sources
Presidential Communications Operations Office, Speech during the inauguration of Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Nov. 27, 2018
The Manila Times, Duterte is The Manila Times ‘Man of the Year’, Feb. 11, 2018
PCOO, Duterte highlights vision during business forum, Feb. 10, 2017
RTVM, The Manila Times 5th Business Forum, Feb. 11, 2017
RTVM, Speech of President Rodrigo Duterte at the Manila Times 5th Business Forum, Feb. 11, 2017
PCOO, Duterte receives highest Knights of Rizal Award, Feb. 24, 2017
RTVM, 21st International Assembly and Conference of the Knights of Rizal, Feb. 23, 2017
ABS-CBN News Online, Duterte declines UP honorary degree offer, April 19, 2017
CNN Philippines, Duterte ‘declines’ U.P. honorary degree, April 19, 2017
Philstar.com, Duterte declines UP honorary doctorate, April 20, 2017
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
