Exclusive
By Raïssa Robles
Yesterday, I wrote that Senator Vicente Sotto had copied from FIVE bloggers.
Last night, I was sent information that he copied as well from a briefing paper. The information came once more from Vincent D. Bautista. Thank you, Vincent.
UPDATE as of 8:23 AM, August 17, 2012:
In 2002, Senator Vicente Sotto vowed to push for tougher measures against film and music piracy. He even delivered a privilege speech condemning the matter. Is what he just did a form of piracy too?
Senator Sotto and his staff’s predilection for lifting verbatim without attribution has elicited much comment and reaction on the Web.
One commenter named Kiko wrote the following reaction:
Yikes, what an embarrassment for the Philippine Senate as an institution. How can you stand up in front of your peers and read off a paper whose sources you haven’t reviewed personally?
Kiko also sent what he called Sotto the plagiarist meme:
On the social networking site Facebook, someone passed on this poster to me –
This was before I learned that Sotto’s copy-and-paste approach to scholarship extended to briefing papers. Hindi lang pala bloggers.
This morning, someone posted this as well on Facebook:
Sotto copied from 5 bloggers plus a briefing paper
Sotto’s speech delivered August 16 Wednesday contained the following passage. Again, I have highlighted in red what was copied:
2.United Nations agencies are using UN resources to advocate their agenda on a local level in order to bypass cultural and religious resistance. Gamal Serour, president of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), reported that UNFPA has a program in 25 countries to lobby religious leaders into dropping objections to the agenda. These programs are aimed at “re-educating” religious leaders and convincing them to accept their population control programs.
He had lifted this verbatim from a briefing paper entitled ” Six More Problems with Women Deliver: Why Attempts to Redefine Maternal Health as Reproductive Health Threaten the World’s Women”:
Problem #4: UN staff and NGOs target religious leaders and youth to undermine traditional culture and values.
UN agencies are using UN resources to advocate their agenda on a local level in order to bypass cultural and religious resistance. Gamal Serour, president of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), reported that UNFPA has a program in 25 countries to lobby religious leaders into dropping objections to the agenda. These programs are aimed at “re-educating” religious leaders and convincing them that family planning does not go against their religious values, especially when taken from a medical point of view.
The paper can be downloaded here.
So far, one blogger named Sarah has reacted to Senator Sotto’s copying from her blog, thehealthyhomeeconomist.com in a post entitled On Plagiarism, the Pill and Presumptuousness. This time, Sarah has taken the trouble to protect her post. You can no longer simply copy and paste it. You have to screencap it like this:
Sarah called Sotto “esteemed”, but the picture that accompanied the post said what she really meant –

Picture directed at the esteemed Senator Vicente Sotto from Sarah’s blog, theheatlhyhomeeconomist.com
Senator’s chief-of-staff Hector Villacorta took the trouble to contact Sarah. Jojo Malig of ABS-CBNNews quoted Villacorta as telling Sarah –
“We are both indebted to the book’s author but if you wish that you also be credited with the contents of the book, let this be your affirmation. I can do it and by this message, I am doing it. Hope it satisfies you. But if it does not, what would you want us to do?”
All I can say is – WOW. Villacorta’s grudging tone says it all. It’s as if he’s saying it’s Sarah who should be grateful for the honor of having been quoted by a senator because she is a mere blogger.
To hear what Sen. Sotto himself said on the issue, click on this link –
Some commenters have asked me why I’m making such a big deal over this. Perhaps because as a writer I have tried to take the trouble to attribute sources and craft my words. When someone merely copies and pastes other people’s thoughts and passes them off as his, he is taking all the credit for doing all that hard work.
That’s all.
______________________________________________
Related Stories
Did Sen. Sotto just lie on national TV?
Did Sen. Sotto copy from 5 bloggers?
andrew lim says
LET’S INSULT SOTTO AND VILLACORTA THEN CLAIM IT CAME FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
I am thinking of doing this:
Come out with a statement condemining Sotto and Villacorta’s excuses for plagiarism and then put all the cusswords, eptithets and insults known to man into it.
Then if they cry foul and threaten me with libel, I will ask them to prove if those were indeed my words. I will tell them it came from the “public domain”. Dont we hear insults and curses from the street? So no one has a copyright on insults and curses.
What do you think? :)
raissa says
Go for it :)
Let’s see what happens.
Jun Brioso says
There is no truth to the rumor that Senator Tito Sotto–who rose to fame in the late 1970s via his and his two other colleagues’ (Vic Sotto’s and Joey de Leon’s) ingenuity of plagiarizing popular songs and recording them as their own, famously known as “TVJ’s Tough Hits” albums which generated platinum sales–is reprising his talent in the art of plagiarism, in his present work in the Philippine Senate. That is why he vehemently denies any truth to the charge that just because he was an expert in plagiarizing popular songs way back in the 1970s, he is plagiarizing other people’s work to effectively discharge his work as a Senator of the Republic. To the accusation by the US blogger that he is a “lying thief”, Senator Sotto says that had the accusation been made in the 1970s, well he might just admit it since the melodies between the popular songs and the songs that he (and Vic and Joey) recorded were the same, but in the present case, the work of the US blogger and his now infamous speech in the Senate are totally different–simply because the US blogger’s work and his speech (despite similarities in language) are not songs and have no melodies or tunes…;-)
anonymous says
Don’t forget Mars Ravelo. Remember, when Lastikman came out he was not even acknowledged, unlike the new version of Captain Barbell. (From the title itself, it says “Mars Ravelo’s Captain Barbell.) Siblings do share similar hobbies. :)
anton says
Here’s the latest from Sotto’s Chief of Staff, Hector Villacorta:
Plagiarism common practice, OK in Senate, says Sotto’s aide
By Cathy C. Yamsuan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
1:13 am | Thursday, August 23rd, 2012
Share on facebook_likeShare Tweet 90
Plagiarism is rampant in the Senate, but some staff members of senators consider it an acceptable practice.
Passages from various authors are included in the speeches of senators and entire legislative bills are being copied and passed off as their own.
The chief of staff of Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto on Wednesday said it was a common practice among Senate staff members to scout for bills that a previous Congress had failed to enact into law and repackage them as their bosses’ pet measures.
For instance, the reproductive health (RH) bill that Sen. Miriam Santiago filed in 1997 has undergone so many incarnations before its current packaging as the committee report that she and Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the committee on women and family relations, now endorse.
Why reinvent the wheel?
“Copying is a common practice. Why do you need to think of a brand-new measure when a good one that was not enacted already exists?” said Hector Villacorta, Sotto’s chief of staff.
At a breakfast forum, Villacorta said former senators would sometimes approach incumbent ones and ask them to refile the measures that failed to reach approval during the former senators’ term.
“They request new senators to refile [the bills] because (these are) already in the archives. Why reinvent the wheel? Re-filing is an accepted practice. It is called copying,” he said.
Word for word
There are also instances when a senator’s staff goes through bills not enacted by a previous Congress and copy these word for word.
“It’s really copying …. Why exert effort when these bills are just lying around?” Villacorta said.
He explained that this was an acceptable practice because “a bill not acted upon dies with an old Congress. So when the new Congress takes over, the staff of the new senators will find out that can still be revived.”
Two senators are being assailed on social networking sites for their alleged failure to attribute information from sources on the Internet contained in their speeches.
Sotto was chastised for not acknowledging a US blogger whose work his researcher cited in a speech against the RH bill last week.
Cayetano was similarly ridiculed for allegedly not mentioning two institutions in separate speeches on maternal health and the environment.
Rationalization
Even Villacorta himself was whipped on the Web for saying that Philippine laws do not have provisions that penalize anyone who freely lifts information from the Internet.
Still, Villacorta said it was easier to rationalize the filing of unoriginal bills than delivering unoriginal speeches because even the Constitution was “plagiarized” from the US charter.
“We plagiarized the US Constitution. All the amendments became our Bill of Rights. But do they call us a plagiaristic country? No, because the law is based on precedent,” Sotto’s chief of staff said.
“Even our Insurance Code is a plagiarized document. The proposed freedom of information bill is plagiarized. What’s more, the Senate and House (of Representatives) versions of the RH bill are very similar. So who is plagiarizing who?” he added.
Villacorta reminded everyone that “the Bible reached us today because the monks copied from the Greeks. Everything really started from a little copying.”
All plagiarists
“Even our image was copied from God. We are all plagiarists,” he said.
Former Sen. Ernesto Maceda was in the Senate Wednesday and acknowledged that the copying of bills from a previous Congress was indeed considered acceptable among his peers during his term.
In the case of speeches, “when we lifted a passage or quotation, we gave the corresponding attribution to the source,” he said.
However, Maceda would not hold Sotto and Cayetano personally accountable for passages in their speeches that might have failed to attribute the right sources.
“I can believe the two senators if they say their speeches were prepared by their staff. It was an omission…. I think to me it’s not a big thing. It’s forgivable if it does not really affect the overall content of the speech…. Almost all senators depend on staff work,” he explained.
Magnanimous
Santiago was also magnanimous when asked about the issue.
“Maybe the speech writer just overlooked it…. This is politics so I guess we should give more leeway to the senators as long as later on they admit that they took it from some other source and they acknowledge that source,” she said.
“This is not academe where it is grave, in effect a mortal sin not to attribute something to its source or author,” Santiago added.
Still, Maceda said it would be good if the senators would “express an apology to authors asking it.”
Not on Villacorta’s watch in the case of Sotto. “Senator Sotto was not personally responsible for preparing the speech. He only read it on the floor. Besides, I already apologized to (US blogger) Sarah Pope,” he said.
Too awkward
Villacorta said Sotto’s researchers initially tried searching for the website of US author Natasha Campbell-McBride but could not open it.
The researchers resorted instead to Sarah Pope’s blog, believing her quotes of Campbell-McBride’s work was verbatim.
“We cannot draw up a speech that says ‘according to this blogger who quoted this author.’ It’s simply too awkward. Besides, what would the Senate President say,” Villacorta said.
“A whole gamut of ‘according to’ would also not make the speech credible. This is the Senate we are talking about,” he added.
Johnny Lin says
If Sen Sotto staff did not read the context of McBride research but relied on Sarah Pope blog, how did they know she was interpreting the research intelligently. Interpretation could be based on summary, intent or sometimes certain defining words.
That is basic common sense known to college graduates especially lawyers. How do these lawyers know that the evidence was gathered properly without investigating the circumstances in gathering evidence but relied solely on the words of a private investigator whose credibility is questionable. Amazing revelation from the chief of staff of Sotto.
Villacorta just admitted again how stupid is he and his staff, but dumber is Sotto for not knowing how his staff operates.
Dumbs and Dumber running a senate office.
Only in the Philippines!
vander anievas says
“Even our image was copied from God. We are all plagiarists,” he said.
pati ang Diyos isinama sa katwiran. e kung sa unggoy kaya naiwangis ng Diyos ang mukha niya, plagiarism din un di ba? very smart of atty. hector villatorta.
“We cannot draw up a speech that says ‘according to this blogger who quoted this author.’ It’s simply too awkward. Besides, what would the Senate President say,” Villacorta said.
naisip din pala ni atty na katawatawa kung manggagaya, LOL…
i will just simply say, do what you are being paid for. o siguro hindi kayo pinapasweldo ni SOTTO?
Bayonic says
Just watched Villacorta on TV being admonished by Winnie Monsod…. he exemplifies the bad image of a lawyer trying to weasel out of a cornered position. Buking na …. Malakas pa rin ang apog na magpalusot .
He even went so far as to accuse his and Sotto’s detractors of “colonial mentality” … of believing more the American blogger instead of a Filipino senator.
raissa says
Thanks for giving me an idea :)
Johnny Lin says
Give Sotto the benefit of the doubt on plagiarism.
How about his bigger sin. Lying by using the death of his son as an excuse on contraceptive use by his wife.
1. He claimed his wife took Diane birth control pills which was non existent in 1975 when his son was born.
2. He did not have proof that his son’s congenital heart disease was caused by contraceptive. He refused to present the death certificate of his son as proof of his claim.
Let him prove these two questions, that he did not lie.
Mel says
See Related Comment: #90
Mel says
Read some related comments;
– #24, #8 Did Sen. Sotto just lie on national TV?
baycas says
Sottoism is worse than plagiarism. Google, copy, and paste without thinking like Sotto.
—–
Not a mortal sin?
So, at the Senate it is still a sin to copy, albeit to a lesser degree.
Why is it so difficult for Sotto to confess and ask penance from Pope?
Fibonacci Failon says
If I can flashback to his late Saturday afternoon show days in the 70’s with Bobby Ledesma together with the other two stoogies, I remember Sotto substituted lyrics ripped from American songs to make them goofy – En Turno In Training, a premonition of what’s to come.
duquemarino says
@Mel
Iskul Bukol nga talaga!!!!
“Kopyahan po to talaga, eh. Pag natapos ang isang Congress, lahat ng bill na hindi naipasa, kopyahan,” Villacorta.
Umeksena na rin si Miss Tapia ng Wanbol (MDS) para idepensa ang kanyang estudyante,
“But this is not the academe where plagiarism is a mortal sin. We should give leeway in politics, as long as later on the source is acknowledged,” she said.
Exempted ba ang mga politiko sa ethics ng pagsulat (pagkopya)?
Plagiarism is not a crime per se but is disapproved more on the grounds of moral offence…… (from Wikipedia)
Mel says
@duquemarino and fellow CPMers :smile:
Inamin lang ng insider (abogado Villacorta) ang kultura sa House of Legislature.
Si Miss Tapia (Abogado Waah MDS), sumaklolo pa sa kapritcho nila.
By their admissions, it is alright for House Legislators to pinch original ideas and to unacknowledge intellectual work product (of independent reports, third-party publications) from the ‘public domain’ or copyright[ed] publications, because they enjoy parliamentary immunity from prosecution.
As for Sarah Pope’s blog paraphrase of an original idea written by another writer? Enough of a convoluted idea for Senator T Sotto’s “turno en contra” major speeches, for amendments to what could be made into a national law.
It must be a personified alumni from ‘Wanbol University’, now legislators for 90 + million people. This is what happens when Religious clerics deny their students ‘freedom of choice’ and ‘Academic Freedom’. They become copy-cats to traditional teachings and practices. Creative alright, in the art of cheating or lying.
Cha says
Way to go Honorable Semators! What a great lesson to teach the young!
Whatever it is they teach you in school about intellectual honesty nd integrity, you can forget about that when you get to the real world, or at least when you become a senator. If everyone else around you is copying the work of others and passing it off as their own, that makes it alright to do the same.. If everyone else is stealing, then stealing is not wrong.
If everyone else is saying what stupid morons these senators are, then they’re probably right.
Johnny Lin says
Anyone wants to read latest research result of Guttmacher Institute of New York about
“Reasons Why Women Get Abortions”
Go to Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive
Unplanned pregnancy is the least reason.
Or maybe Mel could attach the link here.
baycas says
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3711005.pdf
Mel says
This is a pdf file. It would take sometime to download.
<a href="texthere
” target=”_blank”>The decision to opt for abortion, Sam Rowlands. Downloaded from jfprhc.bmj.com on August 21, 2012 – Published by group.bmj.com
Mel says
Hi Raïssa, kindly please delete #97.2.
I got the html code wrong. THANK YOU. :smile:
Mel says
The decision to opt for abortion, Sam Rowlands. Downloaded from jfprhc.bmj.com on August 21, 2012 – Published by group.bmj.com
Johnny lin says
Archbishop Cruz speaks again. His latest column in Daily Tribune titled
“Even Animals Observe Natural Family Planning”
(As usual, Our friend baycas or Mel might attach the link again)
Archbishop Cruz is getting senike. CBCP should ban him speaking for the church. He wants people to behave like animals in procreation and caring of offsprings.
Animals don’t have permanent mates. They sexually assault any opposite sex attracted to them and move on. Spectacles of dog sex were common in provincial roads years ago. Cruz wanted that scene to come back, come on!
Is this what Cruz advocating Filipinos to follow?
Men raping any women they meet on the road or in the fields?
Insensible corrolation!
Waste of intelligence, if any, left on this Archbishop!
Mel says
– www tribuneonline orgEven animals observe natural family planning Written by Archbishop Oscar V.Cruz Tuesday, 21 August 2012
– Blog of OSCAR V. CRUZ, Viewpoints
personal views and commentaries MOST REV. OSCAR V. CRUZ, D.D., JUDICIAL VICAR National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal./ CBCP-NAMT OFFICE CBCP
Cha says
“I have always been among those who believed that the greatest freedom of speech was the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool, the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking.” -Woodrow Wilson
Cha says
Keep speaking, Archbishop!
vander anievas says
hahaha, any moron is allowed to speak anything. who cares. lol…
anyway, this man is barking at anything, anytime.
Johnny lin says
On another RH bill related Latest News
Philippine Inquirer headline:
“Catholic Church goes after Ateneo professors for heresy”
The return of Inquisition or McCarthyism.
Time to see in the Philippines the confrontation between catholic professors against their employers, Church.
WHO WILL THE STUDENTS AND PARENTS SUPPORT?
If they support the Church, teachers will lose their jobs and they will lose their capable teachers. If they support the professors, teachers will lose their jobs if the students threaten to withdraw from school and the Church closes the school.
No brainer move by the Church. They could not afford to close Ateneo or any other MONEY MAKING Catholic school.
Mel says
Bring It On?
Mel says
Martial Bonifacio says
I guess my comment #86 regarding dictatorship by the CBCP is founded. I cant believe they are threatening teachers for expressing their opinion and belief.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/254188/catholic-church-wants-pro-rh-bill-ateneo-professors-sacked
At bakit canon law? Mas mataas na ba ngayon ang canon law kesa sa PHL constitution? Where in basic rights is enshrined including freedom of speech and expression.
Lalo ako nagtataka na pag naglabas ka ng opinyon mo sa isang catholic school ay makakakuha ka ng mga threats na ganyan from CBCP, pero pag yung bishop na nahuli na humingi ng SUV because its his birthday eh oks lang, bagkus wala ng investigation kasi hindi na ito sinulong ng mga senador at pinatawad na agad (remember what enrile, sotto and jinggoy said after the inquiry regarding the Mitsubishop scandal?)
Mas malaking kasalanan pa pala sa mga taga CBCP ang pag express ng opinyon kesa sa mga pari na nagrape ng minorde edad.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/230784/news/regions/parish-priest-accused-of-rape-by-his-18-year-old-helper
P.S.
im a catholic, studied in Paco Catholic School (Elem-HS) and finished my degree in ust but i dont agree with CBCP in their methods and threats 100%.
Mel says
cyber bullying will be common between bloggers and commentators from hereon.
Mel says
An honest to goodness EXCERPTS at amending RH Bill 4244.
Free Bird says
Question lang dyan para sa mga abugado at may mas alam sa akin..
– Pwedi ba mag file ng lawsuit si Mrs. S. Pope against Sen. Sotto ?
I said that because of this lines:
The Web is not ‘public domain’
US tech and legal experts have clarified that the Web is not “public domain.”
Intellectual property rights are protected by Republic Act No. 8293 in the Philippines. In the United States, plagiarism is a criminal offense on both the state and federal levels.
From a site :
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/17/12/sotto-acting-above-law-us-blogger-says-0
Free Bird says
These lines… soweee.
baycas says
WORSE
What’s worse than plagiarism is NOT vetting the source.
An older study cited by Sotto was questioned years later because the baseline data will not effectively result to a cause-and-effect conclusion as regards hormonal contraceptives and congenital cardiovascular defects. (Contraceptives causing congenital cardiac defects)
What’s worse than plagiarism is NOT digging deeper into the how-and-whys of cited source.
An idea cited by Sotto discredits the use of hormonal contraceptives when in the first place a hormonal contraceptive is just one of the many factors that can cause illness. The other factors that may cause such illness are commonplace compared to the use of hormonal contraceptives, for example, stress, infections, use of antibiotics, and poor diet which the author herself had given. (Contraceptives and gut dysbiosis)
What’s worse than plagiarism is NOT weighing the pros and cons; in appropriate terms, NOT obtaining the balance between the benefit and the risk of hormonal contraceptives AND just enumerate their ill effects.
The impression that is made publicly known by Sotto is that hormonal contraceptives is dangerous to women’s health when all the while current (and not outdated!) medical evidence points to their safety if used by women.
The risk-to-benefit ratio is so low that presently they are not banned in the market just like antibiotics. The benefit of contraception (Read: prevent unintended pregnancies) which is the primary goal of these drugs far outweigh the risk it may pose to women.
Sotto must first prove to the public that the risk-to-benefit ratio is high to even “criminalize” the use of hormonal contraceptives.
What’s worse than plagiarism is mimicking to be an authority on the issue of hormonal contraceptives.
Sotto’s haphazard research on the subject matter does NOT make him an authority. The consideration of just the negative effects of hormonal contraceptives in order to advance his motive does NOT make him an authority.
This situation is a logical fallacy called “Argumentum Ad Verecundiam” (argument from authority)—the misleading notion of appealing to the testimony of an authority outside his expertise, for example, a lawyer doing medical research. In Sotto’s case, a senator talking like a medical expert. It’s no worse than a celebrity advertising how good a pharmacy is.
At any given time, I would rather believe former DOH Secretary Cabral than relying on Sotto for medical information.
What’s worse than plagiarism is the one-of-a-kind SOTTOISM.
Sotto declares he is not against contraceptives when he said:
Yet he isolated the bad side of contraceptive use and made it into a speech for everyone to hear. Sotto is NOT against contraceptive use BUT went on to criticize his colleagues and a medical expert. Sotto is NOT against contraceptive use BUT went on to scare the public.
Does the doublespeak reek of uncertainty on his part? Does the doublespeak signify that his agenda may prove to be untenable because he is hiding the good side of contraceptive use?
Sotto cannot be relied upon because Sottoism is of the dangerous kind—even worse than what he claimed to be an existence of danger in the use of hormonal contraceptives.
raissa says
Thank you, Baycas.
baycas says
You’re always welcome.
Mel says
@baycas,
A follow up to the quotation you have above from Sen. T Sotto’s Part 2 speech, have a read at the following paragraph included in that speech.
He said ‘…isaalangalang bago natin ipasa ang batas na into’. He didn’t say ‘iboto’, but ‘bago natin ipasa ang batas na into’.
Was that a typo (e.g. into or ito or eto)? but I take exception that he means ‘eto’ instead of ‘into’.
Does that mean, he is for the passage but with reservations to wit?
baycas says
Sotto wants to pass an entirely overhauled RH bill…
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/251438/sotto-promise-sponsors-will-hardly-recognize-rh-bill
Mel says
@byacass, I and some commented on your given link @ ‘Did Sen. Sotto just lie on national TV?’ #22.2 August 17, 2012 at 9:15 am
The House of Reps are into the amendments too.
How they’d reconcile the changes, it remains to be seen since a 2nd & 3rd voting are imminent before the Senate could vote on it. When the Senate votes after the Reps, the Executive may sign it into law, or not to be rerouted back to the House for reconsideration with the Executive’s changes – plus or minus the Senate’s version.
– http://raissarobles.com/2012/08/17/update-senator-sotto-lifted-from-5-bloggers-and-1-briefing-paper/#comment-72376
– http://raissarobles.com/2012/08/06/malacanang-palace-and-house-allies-outwit-the-anti-rh-advocates/#comment-71612
– http://raissarobles.com/2012/08/03/the-latest-only-rh-house-version/#comment-71610
How different or recognizable is the RH Bill 4244 by that time the Senate would review and vote on it? It remains to be seen, and if Sen. Tito Sotto’s One vote would make a difference for its passage.
Angel C. de Dios says
@baycas
Finally, something getting the important point. Journalists and the mainstream media in the Philippines should be hammering this instead of plagiarism or copyright infringement.
Angel C. de Dios says
Apologies, meant “someone” not “something”.
baycas says
Angel, it is not “finally“. I just maintained my position…
This was in reply to this comment…
Sotto thought his speech was cool and played his listeners (readers, as well) for a fool.
He wanted sympathy. He wanted understanding. He wanted everyone to follow him.
But that was the actor in him–playing Filipinos for fools.
Little did Sotto know that he only succeeded in making himself the fool…
He’d better be careful in his succeeding speeches on the topic because a fool must not be taken seriously.
baycas says
As I said in the previous blog post…
“If you copy from one author, it’s plagiarism. If you copy from two, it’s research,” said Wilson Mizner.
If you copy one blogger’s resourcefulness and research, it’s plagiarism. If you copy from five, it’s google-copy-and-paste-without-thinking-like-Sotto!
Annalissa says
I am a medical doctor and your piece of work brilliantly echoed what is in my heart and mind…..thank you
baycas says
You’re welcome.
duquemarino says
@baycas
“Iskul bukol” in the Senate”
Editorial of the Philippine daily Inquirer, August 20, 2012
http://opinion.inquirer.net/35110/iskul-bukol-in-the-senate
“The circumstances surrounding the acts of plagiarism committed by Sen. Vicente Sotto III, in the first two installments of his controversial “turno en contra” speech at the Senate last week, are so comical, so ridiculous, they invite disbelief…..”
baycas says
Thank you for the link.
Mel says
Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III is scheduled to give his privilege speech on Wednesday, instead of Part 3 of his ‘turno en contra’.
Please review his speech part 2 (turno en contra (rebuttal)), he is not against contraceptives (see comment #23). He has issues of complications to some outdated Arti-contraceptives, and ‘profiteering’ agenda of service organisations (e.g. USAid & private interests) that support or lobby for the passage of RH Bill 4244. Apart from that, just rhetoric or emotive rotunda of story-telling.
Free Bird says
He still does not get it. My goodness… ang kapal ng mukha!!
Anyways, check this out people. http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=839048
Mel says
If Sen T Sotto would deliver his privilege speech Wednesday tomorrow as scheduled, will he gutter stoop low, resort to finger pointing and tit-for-tat slagging as he threatened?
Or will he rise up to the occasion to consider first the respect and handle with utmost care the Office he represents and the people who voted him into that office.
baycas says
Sotto will say…
“Why accuse me of plagiarism when Cayetano (Pia) likewise did plagiarize in previous speeches?”
Oh, the “walang kamatayang peanut butter defense” often employed by “cornered” erring individuals.
Mel says
Oh no, another case of plagiarism? By Cathy Yamsuan, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12:44 am | Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
raissa says
Senators have to follow a higher standard.
Mel says
Agree, ginang Raïssa.
In today’s technology and online social media age of communication, the level of standards are higher now since digital information is within reach by anyone, at any one time and where ever one is in this world.
Gov’t leaders ought to lift up their game, so to speak, to avoid being accused as a ‘lying-thief’ as an example from a blogger.
It’s just a matter of time, some one in their ranks would have to introduce new protocols, better guidelines for staff to keep up with the times to follow a lawful and acceptable standard of public service, touching on ICT (Information, Communications & Technology).
raissa says
Dapat silang dalawa.
baycas says
Both plagiarized in one way or another. Who among them will admit or not is of no matter.
The trouble with the “peanut butter defense” is that, inadvertently, one will own up to plagiarism.
We must remember that Sotto already denied having ever committed plagiarism. If he deflects blame to Cayetano (Pia), he admits committing plagiarism.
Will he use “Lilly’s” or “Ludy’s” tomorrow or will he choose a foreign brand, “Skippy” or “Peter Pan”?
Abangan…
Cha says
Cayetano’s speeches where she allegedly also plagiarised from other sources are published in her website. They are properly referenced.
baycas says
…properly referenced…belatedly, daw.
Cha says
I’m not a follower of Sen. Cayetano and today is the first time I had a look at her website to check out the speeches in question. I cannot say for sure that the referencing has not been done “belatedly” but there’s a consistency in the footnoting of all speeches published in the website, dated from 2010 onwards.
Mel says
better late than never. :lol:
of all senators, si T Sotto pa ang taya.
dito pabor ang tahimik na si L Lapid.
‘wa ako say diyan aniya ni Lito :lol:
bukas, ang sequel. maraming blogs, tenga at mata ang naka titig sa kaniya.
vander anievas says
@raissa,
“Some commenters have asked me why I’m making such a big deal over this. Perhaps because as a writer I have tried to take the trouble to attribute sources and craft my words. When someone merely copies and pastes other people’s thoughts and passes them off as his, he is taking all the credit for doing all that hard work”.
people who know not what ethics is will really react negatively. a knowledgeable one will quickly acknowledges his mistake and apologize… and does repair as needed.
ETHICS is one thing lost not only in our political and many professional practices. some are spoiled by the showbiz and excessive commercialism. others by the immersion in powers/influences. others by greed, greed of material things.
even a lot of our clergies are not exempt from this moral degeneration.
sotto and his staff should have had the chance to snap this embarrassment and further humiliation if they immediately admitted error and humbly request for forgiveness. the tone of attorney villacorta did more harm than good. so sad…the arrogance of power is evident in them.
PHL have a lot of liabilities in its stock, non-performers, mediocre copy cats…
leona says
Off topic ito…PNoy should make it a strict policy henceforth that no Cabinet officials should be using private aircrafts when traveling around the country whether on official or non-officials travels. This is to avoid or do away losing high officials while traveling. And netiher using PAF planes! USE REGULAR COMMERCIAL PLANES!
Dare says
Easier said, pero sa palagay ko kaya naisipan ni Sec. Robredo na mag charter plane kasi mas madali siyang makakauwi sa Naga. You see kung commercial plane daan pa siya ng Manila bago siya makauwi sa Naga. Eh, gabi na at wala namang night landing sa Naga airport kaya siguro naisipang niyang dumirecho ng Naga. Malamang, sa sobrang busy ng schedules niya eh, palagi na niyang ginagawa yun. Ngayon lang at nagkaroon ng problem. So sad, let us continue praying for him.