PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will receive an honorary doctorate from a Russian university in his visit to Moscow this week after declining a similar award from the University of the Philippines last month.
The Moscow State Institute of International Relations or MGIMO will confer the degree on Duterte on Wednesday, the second day of his four-day official visit to Russia, according to a schedule released by Malacañang.
Duterte, who is expected to deliver a policy speech at Moscow’s premiere school for international studies and foreign policy, will discuss his independent foreign policy and thoughts on achieving peace and security in the region.
The honorary degree will be the first that Duterte will receive as President.
The MGIMO has granted an honorary degree to former President Fidel V. Ramos, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the late Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Duterte declined the University of the Philippines’ offer to confer a Doctor of Laws honorary degree on him in April this year.
“With due respect to the University of the Philippines, I do not accept [awards] even when I was mayor. I do not accept. As a matter of personal and official policy, I do not accept awards,” Duterte said.
“I am not rejecting it. To use [the] word reject is not good. I simply declined. I do not accept ever since,” he added. With PNA