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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III denied lifting passages written by a blogger who calls herself, “Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist.”
In an interview on Headstart on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, Sotto said he did not plagiarize in his “turno en contra” speech against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill. Sotto guested on the show on Thursday, August 16.
“Itong blogger na sinasabi nila, eh pareho kami ng pinagkunan eh. Ang pinagkunan namin si Natasha Campbell-McBride. And in my speeches, even in my first speech and my second speech, I’ve always said, every now and then sinisingit ko, hindi po ako nagdudunong-dunungan ha. Hindi po galing sa akin ito.” (This blogger they’re mentioning, we got it from the same source. Our source is Natasha Campbell-McBride. And I’ve always said, I’m not pretending to be wise. This does not come from me.)
“Bakit ko naman iko-quote ang blogger? Blogger lang iyon. Ang kino-quote ko si Natasha Campbell-McBride.” (Why should I quote a blogger? She’s just a blogger. I’m quoting Natasha Campbell-McBride.)
The senator was referring to the doctor he cited as part of what he called expert opinion and scientific studies showing the damaging effect of contraceptives to children born to mothers who used contraception.
Sotto added that his staff did not examine blogs in getting research to debunk arguments of the RH advocates. Instead, he said they relied on books, columns and editorials.
The RH critic stressed that pro-RH groups should respond to his points instead of alleging plagiarism.
The similar passages were spotted by Alfredo R Melgar who wrote about it on the website of the Filipino Freethinkers, a group staunchly supporting the RH bill. Melgar wrote that the first part of Sotto’s speech delivered last Monday was closely similar to an entry of the US blogger.
“His scientific proof was copied entirely and almost word-for-word from an article by a blogger calling herself ‘Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist.’”
Melgar also said Sotto should have known that ‘Sarah’ had a disclaimer on her site saying, “The information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other health care professional.”
‘Sarah’ also wrote, “The nutritional and other information on this website are not intended to be and do not constitute health care or medical advice.”
Melgar said that Sotto “ignored decades of studies and declarations by the World Health Organization and the Department of Health that contraceptives are safe, only to rely on an unknown blogger making wild claims. He even ignored the blogger’s disclaimer. Sotto’s reckless method of legislation is inexcusable.”
Below are the similar passages between Sotto’s speech and Sarah’s blog, as pointed out by Melgar. (Read Sotto’s full speech here and Sarah’s blog here.)
Sotto’s speech:
Actually, these contraceptives are not just detrimental to women and the unborn. They are scientifically proven to have damaging effects to children born from mothers who were using contraceptives prior to their pregnancy too. According, to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, the use of the pill also causes severe gut dysbiosis. What is worse, drug induced gut imbalance is especially intractable and resistant to treatment either with probiotics or diet change. 1Gut imbalance brought on through use of the pill negatively impacts the ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. As a result, even if a woman eats spectacularly well during pregnancy, if she has been taking oral contraceptives for a period of time beforehand, it is highly likely that she and her baby are not reaping the full benefits of all this healthy food as the lack of beneficial flora in her gut preclude this from occurring. 2 Pathogenic, opportunistic flora that take hold in the gut when the pill is used constantly produce toxic substances which are the by-products of their metabolism. These toxins leak into the woman’s bloodstream and they have the potential to cross the placenta. Therefore, gut dysbiosis exposes the fetus to toxins.3 Not well known is also the fact that use of the pill depletes zinc in the body. Zinc is called “the intelligence mineral” as it is intimately involved in mental development. 4
Sarah’s blog:
1 According, to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, use of other drugs such as the Pill also cause severe gut dybiosis. What’s worse, drug induced gut imbalance is especially intractable and resistant to treatment either with probiotics or diet change.
2 gut imbalance brought on through use of The Pill negatively impacts the ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. As a result, even if a women eats spectacularly well during pregnancy, if she has been taking oral contraceptives for a period of time beforehand, it is highly likely that she and her baby are not reaping the full benefits of all this healthy food as the lack of beneficial flora in her gut preclude this from occurring.
3 Pathogenic, opportunistic flora that take hold in the gut when The Pill is used constantly produce toxic substances which are the by-products of their metabolism. These toxins leak into the woman’s bloodstream and guess what, they have the potential to cross the placenta! Therefore, gut dysbiosis exposes the fetus to toxins
4 Not well known is the fact that use of The Pill depletes zinc in the body. Zinc is called “the intelligence mineral” as it is intimately involved in mental development.
Other RH supporters pointed out that even Sotto’s second speech delivered on Wednesday had text similar to an article on www.feministsforchoice.com:
Sotto’s speech, part 2:
Despite the fact that the movement was gaining popularity in a society with a serious poverty crisis, Gandhi was an outspoken critic of artificial birth control. His general attitude was that
“Persons who use contraceptives will never learn the value of self-restraint. They will not need it. Self-indulgence with contraceptives may prevent the coming of children but will sap the vitality of both men and women, perhaps more of men than of women. It is unmanly to refuse battle with the devil.”
Despite the fact that the movement was gaining popularity in a society with a serious poverty crisis, Gandhi was an outspoken critic of artificial birth control. His general attitude was that
“Persons who use contraceptives will never learn the value of self-restraint. They will not need it. Self-indulgence with contraceptives may prevent the coming of children but will sap the vitality of both men and women, perhaps more of men than of women. It is unmanly to refuse battle with the devil.”
Do you think Senator Sotto plagiarized or just used the same source as the online articles? Tell us what you think in the comments below. – Rappler.com
For more on RH bill and the Senate, read:
- The 7 deadly sins of the RH bill, according to Sotto
- Battle over RH bill shifts to Senate
- RH bill and a tale of two senator-parents
- ‘RH bill harms women, the unborn’
- Pia Cayetano: 5 misconceptions about the RH bill
- Senate Bill 2865: The Reproductive Health Act of 2011
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