IN academic circles, a self-taught person is usually or technically called an “autodidact.” According to the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, an autodidact is a person who has learned a subject without the benefit of a teacher or formal education. It is derived from the Greek word, autodidaktos.

To say that President Benigno Aquino 3rd is self-taught is not extraordinary or off-the-wall. Former senator and executive secretary Joker Arroyo has called him an autocrat and fiscal dictator in a country that is a constitutional democracy. Former senator and former information secretary Francisco Tatad has called him a “demented president.” Columnist and former ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao has called him “a big liar.” Columnist and political science professor Alex Magno has branded him an egotist.