FORMER ARTLET professor and UNESCO commissioner Jose David Lapuz has died at the age of 84, the Royal Institution announced in its Facebook page on Wednesday, March 8.
The Royal Institution describes itself as the umbrella organization of more than 300 Royal Institutes of various disciplines and professions that are duly registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore.
According to its website, more than 300 institutes of various disciplines and professions were incorporated to recognize people and to create opportunities for their members to join in global conferences and to present and publish research papers in the Royal Institute International Research Journal.
Lapuz, who taught Rizal Course and political science subjects in the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, is an honorary fellow of the Royal Institution of Singapore.
“Royal Institution, Singapore would like to express our deepest condolences to his (Lapuz) family during this difficult time,” the group said in a Facebook post.
“Prof. Lapuz, as we fondly called him, was one of the pillars of Royal Institution, Singapore, and the effects of his passing are already being felt by the Royal Institution Singapore family. His achievements will always be remembered.”
The Royal Institution did not release information about the cause of his death. It described the late Artlet professor as a “remarkable man” and an “inspiration.”
Lapuz was commissioner at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO during the presidency of Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Lapuz was first appointed by Estrada as one of the 45 UNESCO commissioners in 1999. He was then appointed by Arroyo as the commissioner to the Committee on Social and Human Sciences for three years.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte named him as a member representing the educational, scientific and cultural agencies of the government to the UNESCO National Commission Philippines.
In 2016, Lapuz was reported to have plagiarized 20 articles in his book, “Perspectives in Politics: Public and Foreign; Rationalizing the Irrationalities of Politics.” He later on admitted to committing acts of plagiarism in a statement sent to news website Rappler.
Despite the plagiarism controversy, Duterte considered naming him chairman of the Commission on Higher Education. The plan drew flak from some of his former students who claimed that he was not competent for the job.
Lapuz did not get the CHED post, but was appointed presidential consultant for education.F – from a report by A.J. Galang
