Ferdinand Marcos Jr, known as "Bongbong," has recently gained power in the Philippines, and with it, criticism about his academic record has resurfaced. Photos of Marcos Jr from the 1970s–in which he can be seen dressed handsomely in a top hat, leaning against a Rolls-Royce–are emblematic of the lavish lifestyle expected from a tyrant’s son. While Marcos Jr was supposedly studying at Oxford during that time, he apparently never completed his degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. According to Oxford University, he only received a special diploma in social studies in 1978, which is far from a bachelor’s degree. Despite the university’s confirmation, Marcos Jr maintains that he earned a degree, and even his website claims he completed his undergraduate studies at Oxford.
A Filipina supporter of Marcos Jr’s rival in the most recent election lodged a freedom of information request to clarify the truth about Bongbong’s education. The petitioner stated that he "should stop misrepresenting his special diploma” and that "it’s clear he did not complete undergraduate studies." Though the Philippine constitution mandates only literacy for presidential candidates, people still place great importance on education, especially if it occurred abroad.
The Marcos family is no stranger to accusations of misinformation. In the past, the family engaged in a disinformation campaign to depict their reign favorably, which has recently resurfaced. Notwithstanding, Marcos Jr won the most recent Philippine election by more than 31 million votes despite concerns over his qualifications.
These concerns have been persistent for some time, first appearing seven years ago when Marcos Jr’s senatorial profile listed his degree as PPE, which has not been corroborated. Furthermore, letters uncovered in 2019 demonstrated how envoys for Marcos Sr had made attempts to preserve Marcos Jr’s academic career even though he repeatedly failed exams. By manipulating the system, they were able to transfer him to a special program that he did finish but which was not equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in PPE.
Marcos Jr has a unique perspective on failure and what it can mean for a person’s reputation: he became vice-governor of his home province at just 23 years old and then governor. After his father was overthrown, he went into self-exile. Marcos Jr’s struggles at Oxford have led to further scrutiny of his qualifications, which is only exacerbated by his family’s reputation for misinformation.
Craig Butfoy was imprisoned in March for fabricating his flying experience to secure a job with British Airways. His CV contained fraudulent details, including his possession of a private pilot’s license since 1998, and counterfeit documents, such as a training course certificate.
Jeffrey Archer, a disgraced politician and author, gained admission into Oxford University’s Department of Education after claiming he possessed six O-levels and three A-levels. In reality, he had three O-levels and no A-levels. He was accepted for a one-year diploma course at Brasenose College at Oxford due to his alleged attainment of three A-levels, but in reality, they never existed. He misled everyone into assuming that he had completed an entire degree course.
Lee McQueen won a well-paying job alongside Sir Alan Sugar in June 2008, after being the successful candidate in the final round of the BBC’s The Apprentice, despite his claim that he spent two years at a university when he only spent four months studying.
Florin Roman resigned from his post as Romania’s Minister of Digitalisation and Innovation in December 2021 after journalists conducted an investigation into his resume, and discovered significant discrepancies and evidence that he had committed plagiarism in an academic paper.
