Sotto confident ethics complaint won’t progress

MANILA, Philippines - Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III yesterday expressed confidence that the Senate ethics committee will quickly dismiss the complaint filed against him for alleged plagiarism.

“I’m very confident that it will not even reach to that (voting),” Sotto told reporters after attending the weekly Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel media forum.

He believes the complaint would not progress since the Senate journal would prove that he did not claim ownership of any material he used in his speeches last August on the controversial reproductive health bill.

“The answer to that is give them (senators) the Senate journal. If the members of the ethics committee were not present during the time I delivered my speech I’ll just give them a copy of the journal,” he said.

The senator claimed that the copy being used by his critics was just a draft of his speech.

“That’s a piece of paper unless it comes from the journal of the Senate or I delivered it in my speech; that is not my speech and that is my only answer to the committee on ethics,” Sotto said.

Last week, 37 individuals composed of professors and bloggers filed an ethics complaint against the senator for allegedly plagiarizing some parts of his speeches meant to oppose the passage of the RH bill.

The complaint claimed that portions of Sotto’s speeches against the RH bill delivered on Aug. 13, Aug. 15 and Sept. 5 “were near verbatim reproductions of portions” of articles, briefing papers, and a speech previously posted in blogs and websites.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Senate ethics committee, earlier said they will still have to establish their rules before they can hold a hearing on the complaint.

Asked if he thinks Sen. Pia Cayetano, one of the principal authors of the RH bill, could influence her brother Alan Peter on the ethics complaint against him, Sotto said: “No, I have no apprehensions about that.”

Strengthening the law

Once Congress finally approves amendments to the 15-year-old Intellectual Property Code, Philippine laws will cover incidents similar to Sotto’s case.

The Senate and the House of Representatives yesterday reconciled versions of the bill amending the Intellectual Property Code at a conference in Traders Hotel in Pasay City.

Sen. Manuel Villar and Rep. Albert Garcia, chairmen of the respective committees of trade and commerce, have agreed to adopt the majority of the provisions under Senate Bill 2842.

Among the highlights of the measure is the reproduction of published articles or materials in a specialized format exclusively for the use of the blind, visually- and reading-impaired persons, creation of the Bureau of Copyright and other related rights, and protection of the works of local artists.

“The visually and hearing impaired can enjoy this provided the materials are not used for profit... and then the protection of the local artists which allow protection of their intellectual property, creations and performances,” Villar said, adding that the creation of the Bureau for Copyright and other related rights will strengthen the agency.

The lawmakers also agreed to the proposals of Sen. Edgardo Angara, who introduced the amendments that would include the protection of other rights: moral rights, resale rights and neighboring rights, in addition to copyright.

Asked if his amendments will cover the controversy facing Sotto, Angara said the Kennedy speech is covered by “moral rights.”

As differentiated from a copyrighted property, Angara said Sotto’s argument that the Kennedy speech is already covered by public domain can also be deemed proper.

He explained that moral rights mean the “right of attribution, right against alteration and right against distortion.”  – With Christina Mendez