Philippine college confirms Sutha's degree

"Our records show that he indeed graduated from our school in 1984," Ditas Lapata, a staff member of the 59-year-old school's registrar's office, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Lapata's confirmation on Sutha, a first time minister, seemed to clear his name from doubts whether he was really graduated from this little known school of Philippines.

Sutha told reporters that he graduated from Republican College with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce (Management) degree in 1984 in quelling a newspaper report that he just finished Grade 12, or the equivalent of secondary school.

The Thai Constitution requires Cabinet members to have at least a bachelor's degree.

The controversy took a twist when it was discovered that the minister was issued a passport for the first time in 1994, a decade after he graduated from Republican College, which is located at 42 18th Ave., Murphy, Quezon City.

Thai foreign ministry officials have refused to disclose details about Chansaeng's passport, citing his right to privacy.

The Bangkok-based Daily Xpress newspaper reported that Sutha had never specified the degree as educational background in official documents.

In 1985, the newspaper said, his campaign flyer for the Bangkok City council elections stated his maximum education as Grade 12. But another flyer in last year's general elections listed "Advanced Diploma and Certificate in Logistics and Transport."

Sutha said he did not claim his degree from the Philippines earlier because that country's Civil Service Commission had not yet certified the academic institution when he graduated.

The Inquirer said that established in 1949 by the family of Dr. Horosi Aguiling, Republican College currently offers bachelor's degrees in education, commerce, criminology and liberal arts, secretarial courses, and master's degrees in arts and education, in addition to secondary education. It now has a student population of 600.

Lapata told the Inquirer that sometime last month, "somebody from the Thai Embassy came over to check (Sutha's) school records here," Lapata said. "We later sent by DHL copies of the records they requested."

* Philippine Daily Inquirer is a member of Asia News Network