Tito Sotto: On Plagiarism and Translation of Robert F. Kennedy's Speech



The controversial Philippines Senator started it all from PLAGIARISM but who would have though he will stop from there. He did it again but this time it was plagiarism with Tagalog translation. He copied part of Robert Kennedy's speech and passing it off as his own.

“It was texted to me by a friend. I found the idea good. I translated it into Tagalog. So what’s the problem?” Tito Sotto told the Philippine Daily Inquirer when asked plagiarism  accusations. Sotto added,“Ano? Marunong nang mag-Tagalog si Kennedy? [What now? Does Kennedy now know how to speak in Tagalog]?.”
A Debate Challenge:Tito Sotto vs Claudio/Syjuco



Sotto Plagiarized Kennedy? Photo from Twitter user Michel EldiySotto Plagiarized Kennedy? Photo from Twitter user Michel Eldiy

Robert F. Kennedy’s speech during Day of Affirmation, June 6 1966.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Ready-Reference/RFK-Speeches/Day-of-Affirmation-Address-news-release-text-version.aspx

Sotto’s Privilege Speech, September 5, 2012.

http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2012/0905_sotto2.asp

photo credit: copied from Facebook wall
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69 comments

  1. stupidity again worst senator ever, nahihiya na ako para sa kanya sana hindi sya totoong pilipino

  2. Naku tito sen. hindi kana nadala!for sure may 2nd, 3rd at napakarami na namang palusot na lalabas:)

  3. I have to admit, I'm totally unfamiliar with this subject matter.

  4. I'm starting to think this is a strategy to divert issue on RH bill. People are now more focused on plagiarism than the RH bill but this is an all time low for Tito Sotto.

  5. may time magpakita sa Eat Bulaga pero walang time para gumawa ng speech?

  6. Haha tama @ Anonymous sept5 10:07am... Busy sa appearance sa tao for easy recall... He could have spent his time writing his own speeches, or at least reminding his staff notmto copy from someone else's work... He should fire his staff. Or quit from Senate.

  7. This is another embarrassment for our country and of course, it reflects to the ones who voted for him in the last election. Good thing I didn't vote for him and will never be in my history.

  8. I am not familiar with the situation but I do know that plagiarism is NEVER a good thing in any language or interpretation!

  9. Wow, this is amazing! Will they stop at nothing? Like Robi M. said, it is another embarrassment for this country!

  10. Like some of the other comments, I'm unfamiliar with this particular situation. Plagiarism is never okay no matter what form you do it in.

  11. haha @ Tagelize it.. That's pretty funny. I agree, plagiarism should not happen, we all have our own thoughts.

  12. Nagpapansin na lang tong si sotto. Akala niya sa mga tao bobo,

  13. OMG! Tito Sotto is the stupidest senator the Philippines has ever had! He thinks the netizens won't find out? Haha, not so fast. How can he possibly earn back respect (considering the little respsect he has had to begin with) knowing that he "plagiarized" parts of Kennedy's 1966 speech? It doesn't matter if the words are translated from the original. It is still PLAGIARISM. Moron senator! He needs to go back to WANBOL UNIVERSITY where he came from.

  14. Translation Plagiarism, meron po nun Mr. Senator. Hindi po porket tinagalog nyo ay di n pedeng tawaging kopya. May tagalog version ang bibliya nA isinalin mula sa original nito, at marami pang iba dyan. Inako nyo pa na sainyo talaga ung speech nyo, gumawa k nga ng sarili mong speech.

  15. This comment has been removed by the author.
  16. Akala natin si senator lang ang mapapahiya, hindi nyo ba naisip lahat ng Filipino nadadamay, mga dayuhan ba kayo? di ba kayo nasaktan kapwa natin Filipino mapapahiya, sa totoo lang di ako nahihiya sa mga nagawa ni Sen. Sotto, dahil alam ko magkakamali din tayo, mas nahihiya ako sa lahat ng Filipinong nag post ng negatibo, alam nyo bang mas bobo pa kayo sa pinaka bobo dahil nagpapadala kayo sa politikong kalaban at nagbabatikos sa kanya,gumising naman kayo, at kayo pa mismo nagpapahiya sa sarili nating bansa , nakuha nyo ba ang ibig kung sabihin?sana magadvice na lang kayo. di ako panig kay sen. Sotto mas di rin ako panig sa may negatibong isip, kung saan ang tama don ako...

  17. AGREE! 101% >>>>>>>SEE? Di n cla nagcomments kasi boomerang sa knila negative comments nla, kc cla ang nagpapahiya sa sariling bansa. hopng nxt tym, think twice or more kung di b laht mdamay!. pinoy blogger pls. aral nyo sna ito.

  18. What he's done is truly a big disgrace. Once should have been enough but to do it twice? And he didn't even apologize. Kahiya-hiya para sa lahat ng Pinoy sa mundo. I hope we don't forget this if/when Tito Sotto decides to run again. We should never allow him back in office!

  19. maybe he looks up to robert kennedy as a role model, and wanted to do the same thing for his own country. he should have maybe quoted Kennedy in his speech, and wrote some stuff about it underneath to elaborate on his plans in order to make it more of his own, based on someone work.

  20. @jason

    sa wakas. tama ang sinabi mo. ang hirap sa mga "blogger" na ito, alam lang bumanat. hindi muna mag-isip. hindi porke may laya kang magsalita, hindi mo na aayusin. ang freedom of speech may responsibilidad na kasama. meron pang nagsabing reflect, reflect sa bumoto. tsss! hindi ka nakaka-angat sa lahat dahil diyan, totoy. bakit, 'yung mga binoto mo ba sigurado ka bang ubod ng linis ang mga iyan at walang ginawa/gagawing ikahihiya rin nila?

  21. Sa America yan nademanda na yan nung una pa lang ginawa nya yang pangongopya. Mababait pa nga ang mga Filipino and besides malakas loob nya kasi may Immunity.

  22. Di na natuto... ayayay!! I wonder alin pang speeches ang kinopya nya..

  23. This comment has been removed by the author.
  24. Wow! I was not aware of this subject

  25. A sorry could have ended all this, he did wrong and stood by it, now adding insult to injury, he's really a sorry excuse for a senator.

  26. Hays sana hindi nalang siya mag speech... mag observe nalang siya

  27. I am not against Tito Sen actually. I voted for him. Because I believe he can help us change what we have now with our government. I am very, very disappointed on what he become now.

  28. Mas nakakahiya tayong mga Pinoy 'pag magkikibit-balikat lamang tayo kahit na alam naing may malinaw na pagkakamali. Dahil ibig sabihin nun wala tayong paninindigan.

    Isa pa, Senador ang pinag-uusapan natin dito, isa sa mga tinitingalang tao, at marapat na huwaran ng nakararaming mga Filipino. Siya ang gumagawa ng mga batas na direktang nakakaapekto sa ating buhay at kabuhayan. Sa mga paaralan at unibersidad, ikinikintal natin sa mga mag-aaral na matinding pagkakamali ang magnakaw ng ideya ng ibang tao. May may natatanggalan pa nga ng degree kapag na napatunayan na nag-plagiarize sila ng kanilang mga importanteng sinumiteng mga dokumento. Tapos, sa Senado pala ay palalabasin nating palasak at di ito importante? Anong mensahe ang ipinararating natin sa ating kabataan dito?

  29. I feel sad about what he has been doing. sana wala ng 3rd time..

  30. @sharyflip,correct.Sa school pag may thesis or nay writing project daapt original na gawa dahi libabagsak ka pag kinopya/plagiarized sa iba. Sa school pa lang tinuturo yan, bawal mangopya .Tapos Senador magsasabi na "HINDI BAWAL ANG PLAGIARISM SA PINAS". Nakarating na rin sa mga estudyante ito at may nagcomment pa nga na"okay lang pala mangopya".So ano na lang ang naiparating nyang magandang aral or example sa mga estudyante sa ginawa nya. And I am sure Tito Sotto will not teach this palgiarism to his own children and grandchildren dahil sabi nga ni Ciara Sotto he is a good dad.

  31. This issue is taking our focus away from the real issue which is the RH Bill. The best thing he can do is apologize (rather than antagonizing his critics) and fire the person or the people preparing his speeches.

  32. BINOTO NYO KC BOBO. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

  33. As someone who studies history, nothing really surprises me anymore.

  34. Di porket tinagalog, di na pangongopya. Plagiarism pa rin yan. Wala ba syang sariling research at idea?

  35. He never learned and I think never understood anything about copy right. Likewise how come he did tolerate his staff who help him prepare his speeches. Both are stupid (apologies for the term).

  36. This issue will pass and will soon be forgotten.. Stay strong Senator Sotto.

  37. hahaha hay...can I leave no comment? Speak no evil e.

  38. kawawa naman tong senator na to.. dapat siguro mamahinga na siya sa paglilingkod.. not a good example for students.. teaching students how to copy.. and paste.

  39. ayay, I have no words to say about this topic...:) I hope it won't happen again.

  40. looks like his reputation has been dragged down now. he works so hard for his name and now, it's ruined. tsk tsk tsk

  41. Not so familiar with the topic, but copying from other people's work and making it your own is a no-no and to think he's a senator.

  42. he just wanted to be famous again, so he has to find ways to be on the front headlines a again. so pathetic!

  43. What? It only shows that he is not capable of making his own ideas and speech. Such a shame to Filipino's, ewwww.

  44. The worst is he is not sorry! That's all i can say :|

  45. he's never gonna learn.. to be honest im neither pro rh or anti rh bill... but he's just done too much stress to stay in the senate... lol

    hope he doesn't to this again.. such a failed senator...
    RonSilvoza.com
    Everything Etcetera

  46. ayos, best actor talaga..LOL!!!

  47. I think it's okay to commit a mistake like this, because let's face it, the senators have their own respective writers. What is not good on this, is the way how he handles the situation every time he got caught that his speech is copied or just translated from others. Other people's idea should be respected. The point here is the content of the speech and not the translation. Of course, John F. Kennedy, doesn't know how to speak Tagalog. But what he translated is the idea of Mr. Kennedy. I hope he'll realize his mistake and be apologetic than giving "palusot" to his mistakes and cry for cyber-bullying again.

  48. I saw few post like this about Sotto thanks for the news. I did not keep up news in Pinas miss ko na dami nang mga happening diyan na di ko alam...Sotto is a good actor anyway...

  49. Walang kadala dala pero ok lang yan. Sa panahon ngayon at sa dami ng mga impormasyon, kunti na lang ang hindi macocopya :D hehehe Loko lang.. *Phew!* Grabe na talaga sila :( Sana wag na nila dungisan pa ang pangalan ng bayan natin

  50. this has been a trendy news in Philippines. mas lalo syang sisikat neto. just be careful mga kabayan na Pilipino. he's a politician and an actor, and he can bribe other people so easily coz he's rich. i just pray that he won't get elected coz nakakasira sa dignidad nang ibang Pilipino.

  51. This is all i can say: shame on him!

  52. yep, what a shame... he should not be in the politics if he is just playing on his position and can't make his own speech.

  53. A sincere apology could have cleared his name. Yun lang.

  54. I really do not know how the Philippines politics back in our home country. This is what the voters got for voting celebrities. They should vote a man/woman that studies about politics not just any famous star
    :-(

  55. i guess, although he is really irritating, i rather not talk about him because his getting what he wanted, free publicity. he is not an idiot or a moron after all, we all know that his lawyer knows what they are doing and they are doing it good.

    the only thing that aches my heart is his been using us for his plans to succeed.

  56. This Sotto thing is so absurd. Nakakahiya. One of the people that Filipinos must look up to cannot even deliver an original speech. Ano yun, highschool lang? Copy paste nalang?

    This is what the Philippines get for supporting celebrity politicians.

  57. Tagalize nga naman..! Nagpapalusot pa kahit huli na..!

  58. The graduate of Iskul bukol wanbol university major in BS copying. Na bulaga na naman tayong mga pilipino(eat bulaga). If JFK is still alive pag hindi niya pinitik yung it..lo..g mo at makita mo ang tunay na speech na hinahanap mo. Bobo tanggap ng tanggap ng malaking suweldo sayang lang ang tax na binabayad natin. resign...

  59. In the midst of all of this, though, I wonder if anyone has given Sotto's staff writers the same criticism as he has been getting. After all, it was already mentioned that a staff writer of his that committed the first act of plagiarism by handing him that verbatim speech.

  60. It seems strange that Senator Sotto was using a strange line of reasoning to defend a strange position in using a strange language in a chamber where he is strangely elected.

    Strange isn't it? Or hardly?

  61. @jb, strange nga talaga.

  62. Oh my gosh, he just never learn, does he? It's so embarrasing!

  63. he really does not understand or refuses to understand the concept of plagiarism...oh well.

  64. a lot would say that they have their own writer for their speeches and so it is the writer who should be blamed. but hallur, still his fault for he lacks the initiative to check it first.

  65. sana maalala naten na ang tunay na dapat pinaguusapan ay ang rh bill at hindi ang plagarism ni tito sotto. get a move on... everyone makes mistakes kase tao lang naman tayo but just remeber not to do it again.

  66. Move on.... most of us uses Google search engine.

  67. Well, I agree on @Bri Yan. Most of people really into Google since it is much more easier than constructing our own or by searching on the library. It offers people convenience and ease.

    And I think this issue diverts our attention on the RH Bill. So let's drop it and focus on what is more important.

  68. Get a real intellectual and produce a speech for you senator, just like Barry.

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