Senator Sotto and Plagiarism
By sophiaraine
@sophiaraine (1113)
Philippines
September 5, 2012 11:36am CST
It was all over the news and internet a couple of weeks ago or so. Senator Sotto had allegedly copied from a blog as part of his speech. In my point of view, Anyone can use any article, in this case, a blog article as part of one's own article PROVIDED that the source of the article used is being given courtesy. If done otherwise, it is considered Plagiarism. The Senator denied the accusation or Plagiarism, which I think many Filipinos find stupid. Just recently, The Senator gave another speech wherein he allegedly "tagalized" the speech of Robert F. Kennedy on the Day of Affirmation, 1966, South Africa. This habit of the Senator really has to stop. It's such a shame that someone publicly known, a public figure of the government, would do something like this. He should be ashamed of this. However, this is only my opinion. I apologize in advance if I have offended anyone with my point of view. It is just an opinion so I hope you respect it as I always do with others' opinions. :)
3 people like this
11 responses
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
6 Sep 12
in my opinion, that was really plagiarism. if only the senator had just quoted, giving at least respect for JFK. when he said, that was only texted to him by a friend, i guess the senator should have at least given his staff to search and research for the originality of it. i also presume the senator really knew it was from kennedy and he just denied it.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
I read somewhere that he found the quote, liked it and translated it. I just don’t know if he did this on his own of his staff did it for him. I agree that it is becoming a hit for him and I’m surprised that he has no shame regarding the matter. Then, again what can anyone expect after what he already did. He already damaged his reputation even if he doesn’t care or even notice.
@april1207 (2)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
as i have heard it is his staff who did that i mean his speech and he barely did not know that it was copied from a site or a blog or whatever and he is just ashamed (i think) that someone is just doing his speech and what he is supposed to do is to read it and deliver..a blog is meant to be read and if he wants to copy it he might as well ask a permission or just mention the name of the blogger or the person behind that "intellectual property"..:)
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
That was the first alibi he gave when the first issue of plagiarism started. His secretary admitted it but I'm still in doubt.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
5 Sep 12
Wow, He did plagiarism while he is still a senator ! He may not be able to deliver public speech base on his own mind and intellitual ability. So the alternative for him is to copy blogger personal quote or blogging statement directly for the ears of his followers and supporters, it is not common to see politician who is not well verse intelletually and not well educated to speak effectively in public speech after copying others famous lines in international political stage nowadays. Many are only half-past-six in term of mental power and their academic qualification, he may well is one of these rare breeds among local politicians in Phillippine. Plagiarism is the only way out for him to deliver message to his supporters and the nation. 
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
5 Sep 12
He'll never get my vote ever. besides, I didn't vote for him last 2010 elections, so there's no way he's getting mine now. this is really sad that some people in my country doesn't vote for the competent ones
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
Since there are 3 of you in one response, I'll just respond genereally. LOL. 
He'll never get my vote either. I hope majority of the Filipinos have the wisdom to choose the right leader. The one who knows best, the one who is intellectually powerful and well-educated. A public servant should be a role model not a bad example.
He'll never get my vote either. I hope majority of the Filipinos have the wisdom to choose the right leader. The one who knows best, the one who is intellectually powerful and well-educated. A public servant should be a role model not a bad example.@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
Lampar, I don’t think I can ever expect anything from him. Like Letran, I never vote for this kind of politicians but I might get overruled by the majority. It will be a sad day when we vote aotehr senator like him.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
I happen to know this first hand in FB when all of a sudden there is this picture of the comparison of Sotto's tagalized speech vs. that of Kennedy's speech. It was really the exact same wordings except that it has been translated word for word in Filipino.
I agree with you that it is shameful act of the senator and it is becoming a habit for him doing so. I do not know if there is something that the senate can do for about this since I know senate is sometimes overprotective of their own skin that is why they would usually do nothing to at least advice him about this.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
Definitely very lousy and dumb alibi. I think he just is hiding under her cloak as senator. I think they are immune from legal prosecution while they are a senator.
But I think this will definitely kill his political career if he does this again. I just hope that this second strike would definitely give him a lesson.
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
The thing about the Senators, in my point of view, is that they're not going to put each other down as much as possible because somehow they are still one. Even though they're stabbing each other behind their backs. I'm pretty sure His fellow Senators are laughing at him in this regard but choose to be silent about the issue.
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
I saw the same thing on Facebook. His speech is exactly the same thing translated in tagalog. After reading it, I saw the news about it on TV. Senator Sotto denying it saying that he used and tagalized texts from friends that he thought can be useful for his speech. When I heard his alibi, I immediately thought that it's such a really lousy and dumb alibi.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
5 Sep 12
I saw his latest attempt at plagiarism again in the news. Yeah he really has to stop. It is not good for his reputation and being a senator of our country, he is also reflecting to the world a bad image about Filipinos.
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
I have to agree with you. This is not a very good example of how a Filipino think. Especially when you are a public servant.
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
It is indeed unprofessional. Maybe he did do something good before. But I have to say that we have different points of view about Senator Lapid. I don't like him either. He's unfit to be a Senator. That's only my opinion. And I respect yours.
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
I agree. Instead of denying the issue, He should have admitted it and quoted the original writer/speaker. That way is more acceptable and there's nothing wrong with quoting someone if the matter is related and can really be used in whatever he has to say.
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
Yup. But I think there is a more appropriate word that that. Stubbornness.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
perhaps they should also look at the angle of he's personal staff and researchers that might be making he's speeches, maybe they deserve to be axed!
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
I respect your insights. But I see this the other way around. If his researchers and/or staffs are the ones who plagiarized, he's still the one to blame. You are the speaker (THE SENATOR!), no one knows best what to say other than you. You have your own mind, you have your own opinion. How can you just rely on someone to do your speech for you? Do you have the same opinion? No. That's why they take something from someone and then claim that it's their own. And that's really unethical. He's not a disabled person to ask someone to do what he needs to do. Even if he's a senator.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
8 Sep 12
That is good practice louievill. However, these people get into office because they appeal to the masa, which is mostly represents the voting population. Even if some voters vote intelligently, they can be overruled and outnumbered by the masa (which is the majority). I don’t know how they vote but we see what kind of results of those voting practices.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
Yep, but what can you expect from an actor turned politician? They are used to reading scripts and memorizing them and following the directors orders, then in the end they turn out to be famous and rich
that's why I weigh things before casting my vote on an actor or actress candidated
, then in the end they turn out to be famous and richthat's why I weigh things before casting my vote on an actor or actress candidated
@semicolonp (518)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
Haha! I know he's getting the heat for these things, but I'm actually having fun imagining a bored and lazy researcher cruising the internet for potentially effective speeches. I don't know him well enough but he seems the type to rely on a different speech writer to me. In my headcanon, his speech writer/reseacher was having a bad week/month, didn't have time to properly write/research one and just copy pasted (and in the case of the speech, tagalized) interesting stuff on the internet. And since Sotto was just relying on someone else to do it, he defended it without looking closely, LOL.
I don't have anything against anyone who uses the internet as their source for research of inspiration, but I do think there should be fact-checkers everywhere. Especially when you're a public figure. We can get anything out of the net these days and he's a Senator. He has such an image to protect; why not exert a modicum of effort to ensure his speech is actually his own?
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
The speech that was reportedly made by the secretary which allegedly came from a blogger and the speech that was "tagalized" are two different matters.
Sotto is not the only public servant who relies with a speech written by another person for him. There are many. But others study their speeches first before delivering it to the public. In the case of the "tagalized" speech, I think he did it on his own. He defended himself, not another person, saying that he got the ideas from texts from friends and then tagalized it to be safe. The alibi itself is really lousy. If you are going to read his speech and Robert F. Kennedy's, it's the exact same thing. So if you are going to look at it, it's his own doing, not someone else's. There's no one to blame except himself. And that's really shameful.
@jeanneyvonne, LOL! I know right?
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
And this the kind of people that we pay in forms of our taxes. Good grief.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
5 Sep 12
I hope some one would be honest enough not to vote this man anymore. I feel ashamed of him being on the senate and the Eat Bulaga show at the same time, it conflicts public interest in the matter.. He never should have settled in the senate, it downs to whom voted for him. I sure didnt. unfortunately, he didn't and that's bad publicity to me
. He never should have settled in the senate, it downs to whom voted for him. I sure didnt. unfortunately, he didn't and that's bad publicity to me@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
I'll add up to what you said. He never should have settled in the senate. But it is the people who are responsible because they have voted for him and they've let him in. But the blame is not solely on the people who voted for him. The reason people voted for him is because they trust him. They thought he is knowledgeable enough to be in the Senate.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
If that is the case, I hope that the people who voted for him saw a good look at his character and his supposed knowledge. I cannot attest to his principles, though. If they vote for him again, I don’t know what to say anymore.
@namiya (1718)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
he hit it the 2nd time yesterday. and his denials and justifications are doing him no good and only mortifying him more. though he is responsible by everything he has said but i think he should look into the capacity and integrity of his staff or whoever is responsible for preparing his speeches. And i'm wondering why it took so fast for someone to discover the sources or the material where his speeches were copied. Hmmmm could there be something fishy in this? just asking
@Shavkat (139827)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
It is really alarming, but we don't know the final resolution of the proceedings. If the accusation was true,it is a big shame.
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
It's very obvious. That it is really true. Try googling his speech. His speech is exactly the same speech of Robert F. Kennedy, just "tagalized".
@olracongam (2)
• Philippines
6 Sep 12
"QOutes on qoutes." this should be done by Sen. Sotto so that he would not be accused as plagiarist..and i agree of what you have thought about this because every person must know if he/she had read something before she/he delivers his own words and it should be qouted in order to make the deliverance of message be good.. this should be a good lesson to those who stressed something which is not his/her own words.. "Tito Sen" (EaT BULAGA often called HIM) knew the charge of plagiarism, in fact He is one of the LAW-maker and must be an abider..
@sophiaraine (1113)
• Philippines
7 Sep 12
That's correct. That's why they call the leader A LEADER. Lead people to the best example. Be a role model. Not a bad example.
