The San Sebastian College of Law on Sunday denied allegations that a former associate dean intervened to secure passing grades for Vice President Sara Duterte, pushing back against claims raised during a House hearing.

The issue stemmed from the testimony of self-confessed bagman Ramil Madriaga on 14 April, alleging that Duterte received special academic treatment and behaved improperly toward fellow students.

Madriaga also claimed that Assistant Special Prosecutor Ryan Quilala, whom he identified as Duterte’s former professor, used his influence to secure passing marks.

Law school dean Atty. Ted Pastrana dismissed the claim, stressing that academic evaluations are based on merit and institutional rules.

“It is not believable that the associate dean used his influence to secure passing grades for Sara Duterte,” Pastrana said in Filipino.

He added that all students are treated equally, regardless of background.

“All law students are ordinary students… even if Rodrigo Duterte is your father, that is not an advantage; you are still a nobody in law school,” he said.

Pastrana maintained that many students come from political families but are assessed under the same standards, warning that claims of favoritism undermine the credibility of the institution and the legal profession.

Duterte rejected Madriaga’s allegations, saying she completed her studies without seeking special treatment.

‘Own terms’

“I completed my studies on my own terms… I never asked any professor for special accommodation for my grades because the bare minimum was easy enough to meet,” she said.

She also disclosed her 2005 Bar examination rating of 80 percent, above the 75 percent passing mark, amid questions about her academic record.

Madriaga’s camp, however, stood by his testimony and affidavit, while also raising a separate issue involving a painting allegedly linked to Duterte that appeared in the background of a video conference presented during the hearing.