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. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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! Â Mabuhay!
ahahahaha! I can’t stop laughing at you, “Atty.” Villacorta, or whoever you are! you’re making me roll on the floor. XD
Are you really an attorney or just a troll? your message is so embarrassing. you’re trying to send apologies and yet, at the same time, you’re telling her off as if she’s the bad one and you’re not.
Just apologize, man.
We only need to read Atty. Villacorta’s comments here to see why they had to copy-paste. Even facebook posts read better. 😉
Much of the Philippines are deeply ashamed of so much idiocy this Sotto and his office has been propagating. With that, we beg for so much apology regarding their actions AND their recent reply to you, Ms. Pope.
This Sotto is not only a buffoon, but his own staff’s lack of humility for their apparent misconduct towards the very person they violated mirrors many things unflattering about this politician. Never have I been so much disgusted with lapse with ethics and intellectual honesty. Imagine, having been proven to commit a mistake, yet filled with such rancid audacity!
Atty. Villacorta, you’ve just made the situation much worse. A simple apology would have suffice, but sadly, you opted to antagonize (more) the respectable blogger instead. Apparently, you do not know how to handle sensitive situations like this. Not something you would have expected from a COS. *facepalm*
Sarah, thank you for all the information and insights regarding reproductive health. Your blog was and will always be a good read. Hope you keep it up.
Hello Sarah, I really want to apologize in behalf of those people. Not only because they plagiarized your work, but because once they were found out and attempted to apologize, they ended up trying to make you look like the bad guy for (to use their words) “crucifying” our senator. I wanted to do this because, honestly, that apology I read did not sound sincere, it almost sounded sarcastic which is funny because the internet usually disables sarcasm. Those people are terrible because even after doing something bad, they couldn’t own up to it, they apologized with ignorance and insincerity and it disgusted me.
Your blog is cool by the way, Fred.
Sarah,
We condemn his stupidity. Fellow bloggers do not promote plagiarism what more of a public official who’s indeed a model of character to his countrymen, the Filipinos, NOT!
It really makes my heart sad that you still think the pill is a good “choice” and advocate for it Sarah. I think by now we all know it’s not. How many recalls and illness has to happen with birth control pills before women realize that it’s not the answer to planning pregnancy? That’s the real issue that no one, especially in the U.S. wants to address!
The Pill can be helpful to women in certain circumstances such as her health would be compromised by a pregnancy or she is finished having children. This issue is not black and white and I while I would not use The Pill myself, I would never exalt myself to a position to make that decision for another woman! Now THAT would be presumptuous as Senator Sotto is trying to do to the women of the Philippines.
I agree with you Sarah.
I am against the pill as well but eveybody deserves a choice. What the pill carries are risks and the more we are aware, the better judgment we will have. Even chemotherapy has risks. But knowing all its dangers will allow a person either to take it or not. The effect is not the same on all people. For others it may be effective while for others it may not. The best way is to have all the information that we can get and this is what’s Sarah’s blog is all about. Information and choice.
Thank you very much.
Yes, there are possible complications to using the pill. However, it is not your place to deny adult women the right to be informed and to make a choice whether to use it or not. That is what Sarah is trying to say here. If you would stop being condescending for a moment, you would realize that you are trying to treat adults like children!
Mabuhay Sarah! Thank you for this post. It is unfortunate that there are people who continue to be arrogant and try to rationalize their blatant dishonesty. You have shown far more class than our “esteemed” Senator.
Dear WAPF Mom,
I understand your sorrow, but please also understand the difficult position of many of my fellow Filipinas. These women do not have the privilege of education and access that we do. Mothers are dying every day– in squalid, unacceptable conditions– due to childbirth or abortion complications. These stem from poverty (lack of access to healthcare) and ignorance (lack of education). We RH Bill advocates want to provide them with access to healthcare and education so that they can be empowered to make their own independent choices about their bodies and their families. Hormonal contraception is only one of many family planning options, and the RH Bill will provide the full range. The important thing is that everyone, especially marginalized women, should be empowered with the ability to make informed decisions.
I don’t think Sarah is endorsing the pill as a “good choice”. Only acknowledging the desperate situation here in the Philippines, and the urgent need for reproductive health education.
I would also like to ask you to understand that national-level policymaking can’t be based on Dr. Campbell-McBride’s work, since it’s a relatively young field in science. More research must be done. Established institutions such as the WHO are the preferred source of information for government decision-makers. Despite my agreement with most WAPF ideas, and my enthusiasm for sharing these on my blog, and my awareness of the limitations and failings of mainstream science– I can’t reasonably expect the public or the government to agree, without the support of established scientific institutions. So right now I’ll just support WAPF and ancestral health scientists in their hard work and research, and share my own personal experiences as much as I can.
Best,
A Filipina and your fellow WAPF supporter
Feanne, where will the government get the money for it? They would get it from the people, even to those who would have none of it.
Understand that some people don’t have a problem with the idea behind bill. The problem with it is that it’s going to be a bill. There’s no escape.
If the duties of the RH Bill would somehow be transferred to a non-government organization funded by donations from the people who support this cause, then we would have solved the problem. Let’s take a look at Earth Hour for example. It suggests that it aims to help conserve the Earth’s depleting energy by having people turn off their electronics for at least an hour. This is voluntary. Imagine if Earth Hour was made into a bill.
Way to make a specious analogy. If you want to compare the RH bill’s implementation to anything, compare it to the Philippine public school system. Imagine if Philippine elementary schools were all privatized. Imagine if roads and hospitals were all privatized. Imagine if the police and military and urban maintenance were all privatized.
Feel free to condemn tax-funded programs as devil’s work, but the rest of us who live in reality will recognize that they’re a fundamental part of any modern society. Making sure that the resources of the country is not depleted is not radical socialism; it’s an investment towards your country’s future.
If all of these were all privatized and your government fixed the constitution to open up your economy then your people would be able to afford them. True marketing competition would lower the prices. Your country’s resources, being monopolized by the same people, are exploited and thus your people are impoverished.
I do not condemn tax-funded programs. Neither do i believe it’s the devil’s work (what brings you to assume this puzzles me). There is need for taxes in order for the government to regulate laws.
What i don’t understand is why you have to involve the government for your RH needs. Certainly another organization would be capable of doing the same without coercing the people.
Andrew
There used to be other organizations (NGOs) that provided assistance. However, LGUs decided that they don’t want those NGOs, and they kicked them out, removing the funding for any form of family planning (case in point Manila and Lim).
This is why we want this enshrined in law. So that the local units will follow the rules and will not block the rights of all.
doesnotexist,
Then ammend the bill, and remove the parts in which the government will be able to coerce tax payers of their money. There are favorable things written in the bill, and that is a fact.
As i said, the idea behind it is not the problem. Fix the bill and more will support it.
Hi Andrew,
I believe that for issues this large-scale and urgent, it’s part of the government’s job to step in and help with national-level policies.
Earth Hour is a great cause and people should continue it– but we should also still push for legislation that supports sustainability. Same case with reproductive healthcare and education. The situation is urgent in my country, so I support the shared responsibility.
I’m open to valid criticisms from those who oppose the RH Bill– these are healthy and necessary to improve the bill and ensure its proper implementation.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Best,
Feanne
I have no idea why people like you keep on harping about the taxes you’ll pay for these things. I’m a taxpayer, too. I don’t whine about how much I have to pay on other people’s behalf as long as it actually gets to them and not in someone else’s pockets.
The purpose of tax is for equitable distribution of wealth. That means that it’s distributed according to where it’s needed, not whether everyone needs it or not. My goodness, if everyone thought like you then what’s the purpose of paying tax AT ALL? Someday, you’re going to need something that others don’t care about whether you get or not – but thanks to other people’s money, you will, anyway. And keep that in mind before you start proposing delegating the State’s responsibilities to NGOs or private entities.
And Earth Hour? Might as well make it into a bill. At least that wouldn’t cause you – personally – money, just inconvenience. But FYI, a bill can be crafted so that it does not force people to do anything. That’s why there are provisions and that’s why it’s also debated upon.
Anyway, what’s it to you? You’ve probably never given birth nor worked in the health sector or interacted with the people from depressed areas. If you have, you would have a better understanding of the OTHER provisions of this bill rather than just repeatedly harping on contraception, contraception and – oh yes, contraception.
Dio mio. A lot of provisions in the RH are voluntary as well – such as whether you’ll use artificial or natural methods of family or planning OR whether you’ll even control your family at all. On the other hand, your tax will never be voluntary, whether the RH is passed or not AND you can be sure that corruption will continue happening. You can target that instead, because corruption is the problem and NOT the allocation/allotment of funds.
Nads,
You have paid so much tax all your life that you have no idea what it is like to live in a country with low tax rate but still have high GDP. While I admire your altruism, you cannot force people to pay for somebody else’s privilege. This violates the laws of Liberty. Although, you can do so yourself along with others who would be willing to devote themselves for the welfare of other people.
As i said before, I see the need for taxes. The government needs it to regulate and enforce the law. Your Bolshevik dream of what the purpose of tax is will lead your country to an increase in government spending and taxation which exacerbates the economy (see Obamacare). Also, entitlements such as free contraceptives are not within the scope of a State’s responsibility. Might as well give free lunch and drinks to everybody if it is.
And contrary to what you think, i have good understanding of this bill, and by experience I also have a good understanding of your country and the government that runs it. I have repeatedly said that i have no problem with the idea behind the bill, or the other provisions that it offers for that matter. But that is why there are bills, for they needed to be carefully evaluated. Even if it proposes for a right outcome, it should have the right means.
If men had to go through the side-effects like women have had to in the name of pleasure, the pill would not exist – oH wait, that IS What happen!! When men were used in experiments and got sick, the studies were halted! But when the same thing happen to women, the studies were adjusted and so here we stand, continual guinea pigs at our own hands – AMEN, THAT is choice!!
Excuse me-male condoms can cause allergic reactions. Vasectomy has side effects as well. It’s a matter of choice. If you don’t like hormonal contraceptives then don’t use it. Community women in Payatas, Baseco and Smokey Mountains want it badly to somehow address their poverty and sufferings. Have you ever immersed and tried to talk to them and know their real needs of Filipino women?
Hey RosalindaL,
I’m a fan of yours! Your grammar, choice of words, and position really cracks me up.
Keep up the good work (amusing us, I mean).
Meanwhile, I’ll fight for the passing of the RH bill, for for women’s rights, and for the good of the majority. Let US do the serious work, you be our clown.
Andrew,
Just because I have paid high taxes all my life does not make me callous to how high it is. Please do not insult my sensitivity or intelligence on this matter. And last I checked, GDP was not a reliable indicator of wealth and what it actually does for a country’s citizen.
No, do not patronize me with your “admiration” of my altruism. I do not believe in cuddling my fellowmen nor do I believe in helping my fellowmen unconditionally. I also do not believe in forcing anyone to expend resources on behalf of anyone’s advocacy.
Bolshevik? Please. THAT is your word and your assumption. It may not be what I mean at all. Your example of Obamacare comes from a country which apparently has been raised to believe they are entitled to a lot of free things and free support.
If you truly understood the situation in the Philippines, then you will know that rarely anyone here, except those from the upper crust of society, know what it’s like to be entitled to anything at all. We work hard, really hard for what we have and we don’t experience free education, free health care, insurance or anything of the sort. There is no welfare here.
In the Philippines, many experience being turned out of hospitals even at the point of giving birth, dying or even if they are already in extreme pain simply because they don’t have the money to pay (sometimes, they are turned away simply because they don’t look like they have the money to pay). Public education is a nightmare for many. And that’s just a few examples.
What I have trouble with, mostly, is you asking why involve the government in the RH at all. I don’t subscribe to the overpopulation premise of the RH as well but I believe that, given the situation here, a lot of people can get help with the funds that will be allocated for many of the beneficial provisions that are contained in the RH Bill. Amend it? YES. As well as amend many of the ways and practices which lead us to have a situation where resources are strained, not even because of depletion but because of abuse. But yes, the government needs to be involved in the people’s RH needs, as you put it, in many aspects. And if it means allocating funds from people’s taxes, then so be it. Because the allocation is not the issue – rather, it’s the stealing of funds that’s actually the biggest problem here.
I agree, my heart is sad as well. What will happen when these impoverished mothers have children with immense problems – autism, food allergies, etc? They will have a greater burden and they will end up mistrusting any kind of attempt at medical assistance. This proposal seems to be only a quick fix with possibly generations needed for healing. Do you really think they will be taught all of the potential side effects?
A similar problem is whether it is charitable give terrible food to the hungry. Should those that are able donate vegetable oil and soy food or nothing at all? I remember Sarah’s post about throwing away the fast food as unfit for human consumption. I think a drug that can harm future generations, like food that causes underdeveloped future generations, are equally bad.
I don’t know what the answer is here but promoting BCP seems all wrong and more harmful in the long course.
When I worked as a public servant in the poorest parts of Washington Heights and Harlem, I saw so many girls with kids in their early (early!) teens. Women were grandmothers when most of the rest of this country’s women are mothers for the first time. A grandmother (who was usually single) raises those kids. This is the cycle, the culture, the way it is. There are endless “programs” there that do very little. The only effective thing I saw was direct involvement by someone who could connect on a personal level to someone in need.
I agree that it’s a tough question. I choose to support both short-term and long term solutions. Please remember that the RH Bill’s focus is education and access, not hormonal contraception.
Here’s my own answer to the question of donating junk food.
Given that the only options are really either fast food or nothing, I still think it’d be better to give junk food. I know it’s terribly unhealthy, but it’s still better than starvation. But if you give a starving person junk food today, at least you keep them from dying of starvation today, and maybe tomorrow they will have another chance for better food and a better life. Of course it is a tiny chance. But if you give them nothing at all, then they’ll die and they’ll have no chance at all. I choose the tiny chance over no chance.
Of course, that’s a hypothetical situation wherein only those options are available. In real life that can still be the case in emergency relief operations, where there is a massive and urgent need for relief goods. Here in the Philippines we experienced it just a couple of weeks ago when we were hit by massive flooding, with over a million people displaced, and hundreds of thousands of people in evacuation centers. It was unavoidable that many relief packages included instant noodles. But would I rather throw those items away? No. The only thing I can do is encourage and support better options– like cooking meals and wrapping them in banana leaves. That was actually done by some, and it’s certainly a much better option. But not everyone will have the awareness and resources to do it. So again, the best way to go about it is education, especially by example.
I believe that the RH Bill will be able to provide the education so urgently needed by many people in my country. And I believe that we must try to find a good balance between short-term and long-term solutions, especially in urgent situations.
I hope this helps you understand my support for the RH Bill.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Best,
A Filipina and your fellow WAPF supporter
Thank you for a thoughtful reply and good for you for supporting better eating options. I hope to do the same with the soup supper my church runs, it is the longest running one in our city.
I just hope that if the bill passes, all people get TRULY educated. (Unlike the “healthy eating” education of our day!)
Yes, I hope so too, and I have strong faith in the people leading the RH Bill movement. And it is certainly part of our responsibility as RH Bill advocates to remain vigilant in its implementation.
More power to your soup supper! You’ll be happy to know that a local WAPF member was able to organize the production and distribution of real broth in one of the local municipalities, as relief aid for flood victims. Even though research is still underdeveloped in evolutionary health science, and we can’t really use it yet to influence national-level policies, we can still help out in our own small ways, sharing education and access to healthy food with people we can reach.
Thank you also. 🙂
Hello Sarah. I’m Spanky a long time friend of Sen. Sotto. I’m reaching out to you in behalf of Tito to apologize for the craziness this atrocious chain of events has caused. The actions of Tito’s staff ultimately reflects on him and, as your Pres. Harry Truman says, the buck stops here. But let me also thank you for helping deflate some intentional misinformation that the contraceptive lobby is attempting to foist upon my fellow Filipinos by saying that there is absolutely no harm from using The Pill. Your article has pierced the bubble somewhat to show the veil of misinformation that Tito and others like him in the minority of public opinion here trying to tell the facts. More power to you and your blog. Onwards and upwards!
Spanky Rigor.
Why you? Tito Sotto really be the one to apologize. He should take the time to reach out to Sarah and make amends. It may have been his staff who knowingly stole Sarah’s words, but Sotto should take responsibility for it. No one else should be making the apologies for him.
Spammy/Spanky, you seem like a sensible man. This is probably one of the most reasonable comments I’ve heard about the plagiarism issue from someone affiliated with Sotto.
Can you please, PLEASE tell Sotto to just own up to his (and his team’s mistakes) and apologize? His arrogance that he has done nothing wrong is just infuriating. Nobody expected him to be an expert on the issue — it’s understandable that he would draw ideas from other people. But there is a difference between incorporating other people’s ideas and findings in his speech and copying someone else’s intellectual property WORD FOR WORD without proper attribution then denying the theft. I don’t understand why he cannot understand that basic concept and has the balls to claim that he has done no wrong.
FAKE
Atty Villacorta and Sen. Sotto,
Please feed these children!