The latest plagiarism charge against Senator Tito Sotto was hurled by no less than the daughter of the late US Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK).
Referring to Sotto’s Sept. 5 speech that apparently contains lines similar to that given by her father in South Africa in 1966, Kerry Kennedy, founder and president of the New York-based RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, urges Sotto to apologize for his unethical, unsanctioned theft of Robert Kennedy’s intellectual property.
The letter dated Nov. 9 containing the demand for an apology was circulated over the weekend via several networking sites It was reportedly authenticated by RFK Center Senior Communications Strategist Meaghan Baron with GMA News on Monday.
Sotto refuses to react on the charge and has defended the speech by saying he didn’t copy from Kennedy’s speech, adding that the late US Senator doesn’t even know how to speak in Tagalog. He also said that the statement could have been invented by internet professional manipulators who are out to discredit him.
However Kennedy finds his rationale lacking saying the Sotto’s argument has no ethical merit and speaks of a clear case of plagiarism.
Sotto ultimately found an ally on Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who pointed out that Sotto is covered by parliamentary immunity.
