UP graduations are occasions when the university by tradition honors its finest alumni, those who exemplify its inseparable ideals of honor, excellence, and service.
But at the 116th commencement
UP graduations are occasions when the university by tradition honors its finest alumni, those who exemplify its inseparable ideals of honor, excellence, and service.
But at the 116th commencement of UP Manila late July, UP Professor Emeritus Maria Serena “Maris” Diokno, without naming names, issued a stinging lesson on public duty for UP graduates: “Tell me, ano ang silbi ng utak at talento kung walang prinsipyo at tapang upang panindigan ito?” (What is the use of brains and talent if one has no principle and courage to stand for it?) the historian asked, reminding new graduates of what it means to be UP educated. (Her speech video garnered 1.4 million views and 62K reactions on Facebook)
“Imagine isang salita—iisang salita, forthwith—ay ayaw intindihin ng nanunungkulan sa Senado. UP graduate huh,” (Imagine one word, one word, forthwith, that refused to be understood by those in the Senate) she said with contempt. “At binigyan pa ito ng bagong kahulugan. Hindi agad—forthwith—kundi apat na buwan makalipas, o dili kaya kapag may panahon pa’ng Senado,” (And they gave it another meaning, not immediately, forthwith means four months or if the Senate has time), added the former chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Everyone in the UP audience knew who she meant.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is UP through and through—from elementary (graduated 1981) to high school (1985) to college (1989) to law school (1993). That’s over 20 years of taxpayer-funded education meant to prepare him for public service and national leadership.
But on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, he failed to serve the Filipino people’s interest with honor and excellence. He stalled and delayed the impeachment trial on the excuse that the word forthwith—as in the constitutional order “trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed”—was “ambiguous.”
Instead of acting decisively, he played semantics. Instead of upholding the Constitution, he blamed its framers. He even prescribed, that the word “immediately” should have been used.
To which the daughter of democracy icon, the late Sen. Jose W. Diokno, said plainly: “What utter nonsense.” “Batch 2025, hindi ito usapin ng talino, kundi ng kawalan ng prinsipyo, ng pansariling ambisyon, transaksyong pampulitika sa pagitan ng mahigpit na kumakapit sa kapangyarihan,” (Batch 2025, this is not a question of brilliance, but rather lack of principles, personal ambision and transaction politics) said Diokno, calling a spade a spade.
