First, let me extend a very warm welcome to the many new Filipino readers that have discovered this blog in the past 24 hours. My husband is from Australia, so I do get down to that part of the world on occasion and I hope to visit your beautiful country at some point in the future.
It is great to have you here, although the circumstances of our meeting are, to say the least, unusual.
It seems one of your esteemed Senators, Tito Sotto, plagiarized a blog post I wrote on February 23, 2011 entitled How The Pill Can Harm Your Future Child’s Health, lifting entire sections of the article basically word for word that was delivered in a speech to the Senate Floor regarding the possible passage of the highly controversial Reproductive Health Bill.
What’s worse, Senator Sotto is denying the charge of plagiarism, saying in an interview with ABS-CBN:
“Why would I quote the blogger? I was quoting Natasha McBride.”
Nice touch Senator. You almost had me convinced you were a nice guy with the tears and all.
Many of your citizens have emailed me assuring me that was a put on, and I’m starting to think they are right.
A thief is a thief, Mr. Senator. Denying it doesn’t get you off the hook; it just makes you a lying thief.
On the bright side, I am thrilled that your lapse of moral judgment has brought much-needed attention to the fact that the birth control pill can have devastating consequences to a woman’s long term health and possibly those of her children and even grandchildren. Gut dysbiosis is a serious condition that has multi-generational consequences that women need to be educated about and completely aware of before making the very personal decision to use them.
It was indeed brave of you to take this controversial position. Kudos to you for that.
By the way, I am truly sorry for the loss of your son.
As the mother of two sons myself, I can only imagine the pain and devastation you have felt from such an experience.
While this has been a highly charged and hopefully enlightening experience for all involved, it’s time now to set the drama aside and get back to fighting the good fight by continuing to educate people about how their food and pharma choices affect not only themselves but also those they dearly love.
And although my attorney will likely try to persuade me otherwise, for now I’m moving on as I’ve got work to do.
Women of the Philippines: I am terribly sorry my blog was used and twisted against you. You deserve the choice to use The Pill if you want or need to based on your particular circumstances. While I want you to know that this choice has health consequences as does the decision to use any pharmaceutical drug, I in no way would ever condone taking this choice away from you! Mabuhay!
“Unlike my critics, I don’t pretend that I know it all. I always cite my sources whether news columns, books or statements from the experts. So, sue me,” Sotto said.
He’s asking for it! Sue him and teach him a lesson!
I’m so happy to read that so many Filipinos are disgusted at both the plagiarism and the stupid “apology.” That belligerent “apology” is symptomatic of the old culture in the Philippines of those in power bullying and strong-arming those they perceive as weaker than themselves. These people commenting on your post, I perceive, are the most hopeful sign of the new, vibrantly growing culture in the Philippines of people who will no longer sit back and allow themselves to be cowed, to be silenced; who will no longer just meekly follow the rich and powerful against their better thinking. The clamor for the RH Bill, which actually surprised me, is a sign that Filipinos WANT to think for themselves – and never mind what the priest preaches on the pulpit!; and that Filipinos are demanding to exercise their freedom to choose. I’m so happy we are waking up at last!
Wonderful comeback to our “acting” senator. Esteemed. Yes. That would sting dearly. 🙂 As of now, even his script writing team admitted to plagiarism.
The only thing I’m sad about in this situation is how this will only reach part of the masses who has access to the internet, and those who are denied their choice in birth control and reproductive health education are who are very unlikely to know about your response due to poverty and lack of information flow. They are the ones that need the RH information the most. Hopefully it’s not only the drama antics of Senator Sotto which gets broadcasted en masse in our media but also this, your response, and your beliefs that every woman should have a well-educated say in what happens to her body, and that through the power of other media they get enlightened by the way the esteemed senator is robbing them of their right to information.
May you continue to bring your good news around the globe. And if I get the time in the kitchen, I’ll try some of your recipes. 🙂
LOL this is comedy gold! Tito Sotto doing his best… to make people laugh!
…and the Oscard-award-winning crying on the Philippine Senate floor? Anyone here knows where the senator and his layer-staff lifted those CROCODILE TEARS from? Are they original? Just curious.
I am a Filipino and i support and encourage you to sue the senator! i would have think otherwise but after reading the side of sotto’s arrogant apology, i was like “come on! its a shame” He should take accountability and learn his lessons!
1. Sotto was not aware of the allegations made by Ms. Sarah mainly because HE DID NOT WRITE THE BILL thus denying that he plagiarized Ms. Sarah’s work. Haha bobo lang.
2. Ms. Sarah, congratulations on making ur allegation BIG! Yay to your new readers! You knew that you could have handled this discreetly but you even posted another blog highlighting how one Philippine Senator plagiarized the quote you took from somebody else. Don’t you know that you have offended and embarrassed a huge crowd because of this post? Yikes.
3. Don’t get me wrong, nobody likes other people taking credit of your work but seriously? Whoever wrote the speech committed a minor offense in plagiarizing but you really made it big. Heck, i bet nobody here knew that the movie Terminator was plagiarized by James Cameron but everyone here knows that Sotto copied Sarah’s work. w/e. that’s what she said.
So you mean to say this should have gone unnoticed?
Or that by the huge crowd you mentioned, the majority of the voters, who I’m pretty sure do not understand what plagiarism mean by dictionary standards?
Pipay, don’t get me wrong, I’m not humoring anyone by pressing on wound that the majority of those who votes are illiterates – if they are not, greatly persuaded by fame and false promises.
Perhaps maybe we shouldnt really be focusing on our domestic issues but what affects people who puts “intellectual property” hence original words, creations, and thoughts, in general. this is not even about being Filipinos at all but the violation that was done for those who shares this “property” and being here and taking part of it, online. This plagiarism done and the actions Ms Sarah did at least by doing this article I believe is a stand for everyone, regardless what country each blogger comes from.
Yes it’s embarrassing that it has to come in form of a public senator from our country to show this and I share that shame, but I am also a blogger, a photographer who shares her pictures and even if I do not exactly ask for a fee for using what I had created, at least what I would expect, is the decency to acknowledge and credit me for the work I did.
Sorry: WHO and HOW has this offended and embarrassed? The Senator’s team of halfwits headcount hardly comes to a “huge crowd”, unless of course that is how many it actually takes to scour the internet and chop and change other people’s work.
He even said himself that he sits down and discusses with his team what it is that needs to be said…and again..like in every other setting whether it be work or play: With leadership comes responsibilty. He IS accountable for both his mouth, and his team of *script*writers.
Hi Sarah,
Was just checking out the twitterfall in Manila on Sotto.
Just want to let you know that Filipinos are clearly disgusted over the actions (and reactions) of Tito Sotto and his staff.
The closest tweet to a positive comment was that we should separate the issue of plagiarism and the RH bill. No comments of support for Sotto at all.
The senator will most probably be sending you an apology letter as soon as he googles an appropriate template (I got that off one of the tweets).
Thank you for bringing up the issue.
The senate is suppose to house the 24 finest minds in the country.
Majority of our people do not know that.
Hopefully we can change things for the better real soon.
Michael
The TIME writer and CNN host Mr. Fareed Zacaria readily apologized to the public when he was exposed for plagiarism, saying: “Media reporters have pointed out that paragraphs in my Time column this week bear close similarities to paragraphs in Jill Lepore’s essay in the April 23 issue of The New Yorker. They are right. I made a terrible mistake. It is a serious lapse and one that is entirely my fault. I apologize unreservedly to her, to my editors at Time, and to my readers.” (ref:
Such act of admission shows Mr. Zacaria’s humility and courage, among other virtues. He did not use a lawyer-spokesman to clear his name, for there is nothing to clear in the first place — only to admit and then express “sincerest” apologies.
Philippine senator Tito Sotto and his staff are both not even close to Mr. Zacaria in being regarded as “esteemed”, by their words and actions before, during, and after the obvious act of plagiarism — clearly defined as “stealing somebody’s work or idea: the process of copying another person’s idea or written work and claiming it as original
(ref: Microsoft® Encarta® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation).
Sarah, please write more — and expect more Filipinos to be on your side — if you feel more needs to be said. Just be cautious not to put yourself in the same very low level as the shameless senator and his prevaricating staff. Godspeed always!