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Part 4. Senator Tito Sotto's chief of staff admits he used Sarah Pope's blog

by Erwin Santiago posted on August 17, 2012  STATS: 50462 Views | 96 Comments

Inamin ng chief of staff ni Senator Tito Sotto na si Atty. Hector Villacorta na kinopya nila ang bahagi ng akda ng American blogger na si Sarah Pope para sa “turno en contra” speech ng senador, kaugnay ng mainit na pinag-uusapang Reproductive Health Bill o RH Bill.

Photo By: Nerisa Almo

Inamin ng chief of staff ni Senator Tito Sotto na kinopya nila ang bahagi ng akda ng American blogger na si Sarah Pope para sa “turno en contra” speech ng senador, kaugnay ng mainit na pinag-uusapang Reproductive Health Bill o RH Bill.

Nag-post ng comment si Atty. Hector Villacorta sa comment page ng pinakabagong entry ni Sarah, sa kanyang blog na The Healthy Home Economist, na may titulong “On Plagiarism, The Pill, and Presumptuousness.”

Nagpakilala si Atty. Villacorta bilang chief of staff ni Senator Sotto.

Sinabi nito na ang staff ng senador ang kumopya sa isinulat ni Sarah nang walang proper attribution.

Humingi rin ng paumanhin ang chief of staff ni Senator Sotto sa nagawa nilang pagkakamali.

Narito ang kabuuang mensahe ni Atty. Villacorta kay Sarah:

"I understand you felt slighted that your blog was not attributed to you which became part of the speech of the senator. let me say that after asking my staff, indeed, your blog was used but only in quoting also from the same book of dr campbell-mcbride.

"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?

"what have we done to deserve your incriminating words. the senator did not lift it himself, we did.

“did you want us to tell him to admit what he did not do? who would you like to crucify for this oversight?

“all the unborn wants very much the right to be born and they need everybody’s help, including yours.

“remember, rizal was the seventh child of 11 children of teodora alonso and francisco mercado.

“be on or side please, and don’t deflect the debate to this matter of plagiarism. it is so out of sync in this great debate. join us in the side of life and truth.

"forgive us our single trespass. we had no malice, we thought you would be happy about it. there was no injury. hope this makes you feel better.”

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96 Comments

  • 56  bangusbely

    08/17/2012 | 10:21 AM
    *** This comment has been deactivated due to inappropriate content ***
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  • 55  shashimingming

    08/17/2012 | 10:20 AM
    A public apology should have been issued by the senator himself because he was the one who delivered the speech, that is the subject of the plagiarism issue. Plagiarism is a form of fraud and the senator should acknowledge his mistake. The statement issued by the chief of staff of Sotto does not sound good. He is apologetic yet sarcastic. Plagiarism aside, this only shows that the position of the senator on RH bill is not coming directly on his own belief, but copied from others' point of views.
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    winged_angel
    08/17/2012 | 12:46 PM
    Basahin mo yung speech teh, basahin mo yung study. He supported his opinion with a scientific finding by dr campbell-mcbride. At yun ang cited source. That's how arguments should be. Statements, then supporting evidence.
    jam2012
    08/17/2012 | 01:14 PM
    winged _angel........unfortunately un kinuhanan ni sotto ng info ay un sa blogger at copy paste ate....at un statements na un ay own words/phrase na ni blogger based on the writings of dr campbell-mcbride. ...
    gemmacapuso
    08/17/2012 | 01:14 PM
    nawawala ka teh, tingnan mo din ang plagiarism sa dictionary at basahin mo yung blog at speech. Nuff said.
    jam2012
    08/17/2012 | 01:15 PM
    ni hindi nga ata nakita o nabasa ng gumawa ng speech ni sotto un mismong write-up nun doctor eh....nabasa nya lang dun sa blog, at un ang kinopya nya...
  • 54  agiladlad

    08/17/2012 | 09:59 AM
    sarcastic!!!
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  • 53  wanna_change

    08/17/2012 | 09:58 AM
    what a stupid writer, lawyer pa man din.. kahit nangopya pa yung blogger sa libro, at least may sarili siyang words.. eh ang laman sa speech ni Sen. Sotto, verbatim galing sa blog... shame... stupid..
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  • 52  cozywednesday

    08/17/2012 | 09:56 AM
    Wow! Real Plagiarism issue at best and went out to a wrong proportion just the more. This is my take with this, the atty's message was rightfully called to be "lame, rude, and heck irritating!", but here is the cliche, I am seeing communication barrier here. Filipino English is different from American way of saying things. The staff/atty could really mean sorry with his post. The intention could have been sincerely good, but he wasn't successful in delivering it right to a kind of audience he got. The lack of an honest sorry and being polite were perfect ingredient for this whole mess. Here is the truth, many people plagiarize but boy learn to own up your dirt!
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  • 51  luvtaz

    08/17/2012 | 09:34 AM
    SHAME ON YOU !
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  • 50  FirstPrincess

    08/17/2012 | 09:31 AM
    ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES I think... Saan ka makakita ng mga senador o kongresista na mga hosts ng TV or mga artista sa pelikula o TV... Senators Tito Sotto, Francis Escudero, Lito Lapid, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla, Manny Pacquiao... Hay naku, onli in da pilipins nga... Oo nga pala, nababaduyan na ako kay Escudero sa pag gi guest host nya sa Kris TV. Wala na syang class.
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    jam2012
    08/17/2012 | 01:08 PM
    but Escudero is a lawyer... my alam xa sa batas etc...unlike the others mentioned above...nag sideline lang cguro ng hosting this time..bka bgtime ang offer..income din un..at legal naman.... at least escudero is a lawmaker muna before he became a host...unlike the other 5 mentioned na artista kaya naging politician...
  • 49  jam2012

    08/17/2012 | 09:28 AM
    wag kc ipilit mag senador...speech lang d mo magawa... dun ka nalang sa EAT BULAGA INDONESIA...
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  • 48  jam2012

    08/17/2012 | 09:26 AM
    "A THIEF IS A THIEF MR SENATOR" ....OMG SAMPAL ito k SOTTO...cguro now mas lalo syang naiiyak....
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  • 47  jam2012

    08/17/2012 | 09:23 AM
    wow...mag EAT BULAGA ka nalang kc...masyado kang PINOY HENYO sa pangongopya..ayan tuloy....kakahiya, ipinahiya mo pa ang buong Pilipinas...tapos ayaw pa agad umamin....nag sorry nga sarcastic pa...tinawag ka tuloy na "THIEF" nakakahiya na masyado un.... paging CIARA...anu ngayon masasabi mo?
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  • 46  trinoma_rat

    08/17/2012 | 09:09 AM
    ang taray mong sumagot ATTY!!!!! relative mo ba si Carabuena???
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  • 45  gorgeous_aleck

    08/17/2012 | 09:01 AM
    grabeng kahihiyan ito. nabansagan pa namang attorney pero di alam ang batas tungkol sa plagiarism? LOL. im sure malaki ang sahod mo bilang chief of staff. ipinapakita mo lang kung ano ang kulay mo. magnanakaw ka!
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  • 44  Monicafer

    08/17/2012 | 08:55 AM
    It would be most useful if Senator Sotto extend his apologies for the oversight. Command responsibility is the key word for this incident.
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  • 43  Monicafer

    08/17/2012 | 08:50 AM
    I am sorry to say that the statement issued by Atty Villacorta put Senator Sotto in an embarrassing situation. He could have simply made a humble apology as their staff made a mistake. For Atty. Villacorta's information, this issue is not only read in the Philippines. This is now a trending topic even among the members of the diplomatic corps.
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  • 42  five_cents

    08/17/2012 | 08:44 AM
    I wish they do the right thing and resign IF they wont resign Sotto should fire them - He became a laughing stock showing no credibility
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  • 41  lukaret1

    08/17/2012 | 08:42 AM
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  • 40  PTnextdoor

    08/17/2012 | 08:31 AM
    “A thief is a thief, Mr. Senator. Denying it doesn’t get you off the hook; it just makes you a lying thief.” Ayan mas strong words pa tuloy ung ginamit. Ano pang hirit ang gagawin ni Tito. Lalo lang lumalala ung issue mo. Sa blogger na mismo galing na ung wordings nya mismo ung ginamit hindi dun sa libro na ginamit mo/nyo kuno. Cguro nga nag quote sya dun sa libro tpos pinalawak na lng nya tpos akala nyo kinuha nya din sa book ung buong sinabi nya..tsk tsk tsk..napahiya ka tuloy lalo..Nakakahiya senator..
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  • 39  Castiel_Dean

    08/17/2012 | 08:22 AM
    Susmayosep lalong ininis si Sarah!Attorney, attorney ka pa naman you should have kept short and simple ang apology letter mo sana sinabi mo na lang -'Ms. Sarah we are sincerely sorry for the plagriarism I hope you will forgive us' yan lang OK na.. Short and straightforward.Eh parang may attitude pa kayo defensive at sarcastic pa ang dating ng aplology ninyo at napakahaba pati si Rizal na nanahimik idinawit pa ninyo. Nakakahiya kayo!
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  • 38  Mae53323

    08/17/2012 | 08:14 AM
    OMG. there is not a hint of sincerity in those statement and is that what you call an apology. again, OMG. ito ang problema sa pilipinas, walang accountability. dba si sotto ang pinaka head sa kanyang opisina, then responsibilidad nya ang kanyang staff. ito na ang resulta sa ginawa ng supreme court sa pag-walang sala sa isang plagiarizing sc judge. we all say, the surgeon is the captain of the operating room...a mistake of a nurse is the responsibilty of the surgeon. why is this not true to all. kaya nga ang laki ng sweldo nila kasi mas malaki ang kanilang responsibilidad hindi po ba. no work ethic at all. mga voters gumising na kayo, ito ang binoto nyo...pls wag na silang paramihin. maging wa-is wise na tayo pls!
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  • 37  lucky7

    08/17/2012 | 08:01 AM
    An acknowledgement and an apology would have sufficed. but I don't think that tito was putting on an act with the pain that he has been suffering over the death of this son. that's a pain that will not go away.
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