A teachers’ group has condemned the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) for granting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. an honorary doctorate, saying the university should honor those who fought dictatorship rather than a member of a political family that once ruled the country under martial law.

The Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy (CONTEND) said the conferment of a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, during PLM’s 58th commencement exercises on 27 August was an insult to the university’s martyrs and the Filipino people.

“Honoring a Marcos is an insult to the martyrs of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and the Filipino people!” CONTEND said in a statement.

“Let our universities erect monuments not to presidents and political dynasties, but to the students, workers, peasants, teachers, journalists, and ordinary Filipinos who fought for democracy and social justice,” it added.

However, PLM Chairman Edward Serapio defended the decision, saying the university sought to recognize Marcos’ support for education and the construction of the PLM Medicine and Allied Sciences Building.

“I stand by the principle that the honor was conferred in grateful recognition of the President’s support for education and for the construction of the PLM Medicine and Allied Sciences Building,” Serapio said.

“The intention was to acknowledge this tangible contribution that advances learning and strengthens opportunities for our students,” he added.

CONTEND rejected the idea that educational support should determine who receives the university’s highest honorary distinction, arguing that universities have a responsibility to preserve the memory of those who resisted authoritarian rule.

“The university must stand with the people, not with political power,” the group said.

“Who stood with the Filipino people when democracy was under attack? Our answer is clear. We stand with the martyrs. We stand with the people. We stand with those who fought dictatorship,” the group added.