He admitted to having committed plagiarism.
Plagiarism is defined in online dictionaries as “to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.”
If it were any ordinary person committing plagiarism, it would not be news. We would not be writing about it. But it’s MVP, the Filipino’s personifaction of success in business where trust and honesty are prime commodities.
The plagiarism happened on March 27, when he addressed the graduates at the Ateneo School of Humanities & School of Social Sciences. His speech was inspiring. He talked about learning from failure which everyone would surely have his in life, learning to take care of one’s body, sharing one’s blessings, gratitude, and friendship.
He stressed that money is not everything.
Pangilinan said: “Let me tell you, money’s pretty cool. I‘m not going to stand here and tell you that’s it’s not about money, because money is sweet. I like money. It’s good for buying companies and things – and for putting up a few buildings here and there for Ateneo. But having a lot of money does not totally make you a successful person. What you want is both money and meaning. You want your life and your career to be meaningful. Because meaning is what brings real richness to your life, to be surrounded by people you can truly work with – because you trust and treasure them, and they cherish you in return. That’s when you‘re really rich…”
It sounded familiar to many. GMANews.TV and others found out it was lifted from Oprah Winfrey’s commencement speech in Stanford University in 2008.
Winfrey had said, “Let me tell you, money’s pretty nice. I’m not going to stand up here and tell you that it’s not about money, ’cause money is very nice. I like money. It’s good for buying things. But having a lot of money does not automatically make you a successful person. What you want is money and meaning. You want your work to be meaningful. Because meaning is what brings the real richness to your life. What you really want is to be surround by people you trust and treasure and by people who cherish you. That’s when you’re really rich.”
Pangilinan also said: “The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you can be secure in your ability to survive.”
In 2008, JK Rowling, super successful author of the Harry Potter series, said in her commencement speech at Harvard University, which has been extensively circulated in the internet, “: “The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive.”
GMA7 also found passages in Pangilinan’s speech taken from the speech of US President Obama.
An embarrassed Pangilinan, in a Black Saturday letter to Ateneo University President Ben Nebres, offered to resign as chairman of the board of the elite university. “. I am afraid the damage has been done – wala talaga akong mukhang ihaharap pagkatapos.”
He apparently didn’t know about the plagiarism until it was circulated in Facebook. He admitted:”I have had some help in the drafting of my remarks, but I take full and sole responsibility for them.”
I imagine whoever helped him write that speech is now looking for another job.
Fr. Nebres was most understanding. He said they will have to discuss MVP’s resignation offer but “.. this does not diminish our admiration and respect for your person and for your care and accomplishments for our country and for the Ateneo. In fact, your acceptance of responsibility and apology command our utmost respect.”
I am most impressed by the manner Pangilinan faced squarely this embarrassing mistake.
After all, it happens to everybody.
The speech writer could have just acknowledged the real authors of the lines, i.e., quoted them within the body of the speech. That would have been the thing to do.
It’s really hard now to copy/plagiarize anything since the internet is here for verification. Writers beware!
Plagiarized by Pidal from Gordon Gekko.
How I wish politicians would do the same when they are caught lying or cheating. But I doubt it.
MVP has succeeded in business because he knows how to swim in the ocean of corruption. He’s a veteran of Indonesia’s corrupt system. He worked for the Salim family,who does not have the cleanest record in business. He would not have survived or advanced if he did not play along.
Remember, his check for P20 million for Erap was one of those in the Jose Velarde accounts? I can imagine the unreported are much, much bigger.
That’s what he should have told the graduating class of Ateneo. He didn’t have to plagiarize.
From Mar Pastor:
While on the subject of MVP’s plagiarism, Fr Ben Nebres should finally acknowledge what most who have heard it have always known. Ateneo’s victory song, alma mater hymn – song to Mary – is a copy of the Canadians beloved anthem – O Canada!
Can we please have an original himig heswita anthem, Fr Ben?
nakatataba ng puso na mabalitaan na may isang mvp na hindi nagatubiling akuin ang isang pagkakamali (kahit alam natin na ang kanyang mga speeches ay sinusulat ng iba) at agarang nagresign bilang chairman ng ateneo. hindi kagaya ng isang nagpapanggap na lider ng mahigit na 80 milyong pilipino na ilang beses ng nahuli sa mga pandaraya at masamang naisin…maliban sa isang simpleng i am sorry na minsan lang niyang binikas, patuloy pa rin sa pagtahak ng maitim at bakubakung landas. sana makonsensiya ka naman gma.
the measure of a man is how he admits mistake and take responsibility for it, unlike most politicians now like gma , villaroyo, etc… who continue to lie, deny and cover up huge crimes against the people
we notice the deficiency of a good speech just because it was copied, but overlooked the mountains of corruption and shameless act of a bogus president like gma who hated the filipinos with impunity and who is despised and hated by filipinos in return …..
woe to a nation whose leader hates its people and whose citizens distrust and hate its leader …….
How I wish politicians would do the same when they are caught lying or cheating. But I doubt it.———–Mike – April 5, 2010 3:11 am
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you are talking about Pinoy politicos, sorry to say, “not in our lifetime, they wouldn’t”. With the likes of Gloria and her marry band of thieves, liars, cheats, exterminators, and cutthroats, admitting to a fault is a big “NO-NO” !! Para sa kanila, it is a sin to tell and admit the truth. The term “DELICADEZA” for those who value their decency is non-existent in the present CRAP of politicos now bastardizing the Philippines. In fact theirs is the government OFF the people, POOR the people and BUY the people.
In Japan, people there (not necessarily politicians) commit hara-kiri or hang themselves for fear of shame.
Sa Pilipinas, politicians who commit “heinous crimes” against the Filipino nation pray for divine guidance, summarily kidnap and/or kill the accuser(s), give out bribe money and advise you to go to hell, or just tell the poor violated or abused bastard to go fuck himself.
By the way, birthday pala ni GMA ngayon (putragis, na-taon pa pala sa Easter ang birthday ng bubwit-Lubao na ito) . From the bottom of my heart, Gloria, may this (your) 63rd birthday be your last.
Read the transcript of the speech. I think he wrote it himself. There are too many personal anecdotes for it to have been written by another. Besides, he is not into speechifying, since he is no politico. So I doubt that he has a speechwriter; not because he cannot afford one, but because the need for one is not there.
Had he had one, he would have said I asked my speechwriter to write it. I have already fired him. Instead he says, I had help. Inamin na lang, dahil buking na, so he was forced to apologize.
Plagiarism is stealing but it is to make a job easier. Speechwriters don’t have to bang their heads and rack up their brains to draft a good speech. Just copy one good speech of others and job is done. The only danger, the information highway is open 24/7 so it’s just a matter of time before one get caught and of course shame will follow.
It’s not only ordinary people but high government officials engaged in the practice, which reminds me about the Prime Minister of Canada who was exposed when he delivered a plagiarized speech of the Prime Minister of Australia.
This embarrassment calls to mind JFK’s Private Pile moment.
In the speech in Berlin, he wanted to show solidarity, and interspersed his speech with “I am a Berliner”, literally translated by his staff as “Ich bin ein Berliner”.
Now Germans do not use the article when referring to themselves, so they say “Ich bin Deutsche” (I am German), or Ich bin rechtsanvalt [I am (a) lawyer].
Ich bin ein Berliner means “I am a jelly doughnut”.
So my niece calls it his Private Pile moment from the movie Full Metal Jacket
“Private Pile, what is this?
A jelly doughnut sir.”
Bonifacio,
Ano nanaman kinalaman ni Erap dito sa topic??? Bakit ipinipilit mo ipasok? Hindi karapat-dapat ang iyong alyas dito, Bonifacio? Eh ang utak ang pananalita mo tipong naghaharing-uri!
Magpalit ka na ng pangalan, dahil ang Andres Bonifacio ay bayani ng masa. Ang bayani ng mga naghaharing uri ay si Rizal.
Tsk..tsk…
Dami talagang social climber sa Pinas.
florry on the subject of PM Harper Plagiarism when he was an Opposition leader, his staffer admit he did it and quit over the scandal. here is an excerpt and the link. and here is also the short note on Ateneo Victory Song written by Father Reuter set to the Music of our National Song O Canada.
– – – – – – – – –
Harper staffer quits over plagiarized 2003 speech on Iraq
Harper’s 2003 Commons address mirrors Australian PM’s speech, Rae says
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | 7:17 PM ET
A staff member resigned and apologized Tuesday for writing a speech read by Stephen Harper in 2003 as leader of the Opposition that plagiarized from an address days earlier by then Australian prime minister John Howard.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/30/rae-harper.html
And in the subject of the Ateneo’s victory Song, hymn to Mary which was set to the music of O Canada, although it was Adopted 30 years earlier when O Canada was officially Adopted as the country national song, it was Our National treasure and was composed in by Calixa Lavallée to be perfomed in St. Jean-Baptiste Day Celebration in 1880 as commissioned work Set to the Poem of Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier (May 8, 1839 – June 27, 1920) was a Canadian judge, author, and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics of the original French version of the Canadian national anthem O Canada. He was born in Saint-Placide, Quebec.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/canlavallee.htm
The lyrics were quite the same format, and the Music is fit the songs in both. But the question here is the Ateneo administration acknowledged and credited the composer for the Music?
what is ordinary or common like admitting ones mistake is extraordinary and uncommon in the Phil., because its values were badly damaged and broken by its bogus president gma and her 40 thieves
filipinos will vote overwhelmingly for Noynoy and Mar as a sign of protest against the climate of impunity by gma and her partners in crimes, who continue to usurp powers and impose their illegitimate authority on fed up and angry filipinos, phil is now a social volcano waiting to explode ….
Andres, may hindi totoo ba doon sa comment ko?
MVP was sharing with the graduates lessons he learned in life. Sinabi ko he is a veteran with surviving in a culture of corruption. That’s what he should have shared with the graduating students.
Yung pagkabanggit kay Erap ay is a documented evidence ng culture of corruption na sinasabi ko.
Tama ka ang aking pangalan ay bayani ng masa. Ang totoong bayani ng masa.
ang akala ko noong una MVP meant Most Valuable Player…yon pala ..iba ibang paraan ng pagnanakaw..another Manuel na nagnakaw? and to think he is an executive…isang Atenean?..just wondering ano kaya ang itinuturo sa Ateneo? must be a new course..How to Steal and Make billions? Nakakahiya! ito ang example sa new graduates? How to be a Successful Business Executive in the Phil…si Fr. Bernas pa ba ang Executive ng Ateneo?…kung sa bagay nag sorry naman siya..ok lang..kung sa bagay how many times did putot say I am sorry? pero wala ring nangyari..ano kaya nakawin niya ang election sa Mayo? ilang tulog nalang…malapit na…will she reign forever in her enchanted kingdom?
Carlos P. Romulo was also accused of plagiarism. Excerpts from a blog Filipino eScribbles:
Many years ago, during the Marcos regime, Filipino diplomat Carlos P. Rómulo received the National Artist Award for Literature. Rómulo, allegedly a plagiarist (he was said to have plagiarized a famous 1952 speech of US politician Adlai Stevenson), was also said to have ghost writers who have written some of his most famous speeches during his prime. That is why when news came out that he was to be awarded the highest literary prize in the land, National Artists for Literature José García Villa and Nick Joaquín were so disturbed that they reportedly tried to return their National Artist medals to the government.
I would like to plead guilty of having plagiared the dictionary and joke books but don’t know with whom to apologize because its authors also copied theirs from other sources.
“Creativity is great, but plagiarism is faster.”
Quotable quotes on plagiarism:
Copy from one, it’s plagiarism; copy from two, it’s research. John Milton
If you steal from one another it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many, it’s research. Wilson Mizner
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. Albert Einstein
Take the whole range of imaginative literature, and we are all wholesale borrowers. In every matter that relates to invention, to use, or beauty or form, we are borrowers.
Wendell Phillips
This text is going around:
The texter must be referring to Larry Henares, former columnist of Inquirer, who was found to have passed as his own an article written by an American journalist.
Henares was recently appointment as National Museum director in place of Cora Alvina.
Heanres’ appointment was one of the midnight appointments of Gloria Arroyo.
Larry must be in his 80s. First Yuchengco, now Henares. Ageism aside, but what is GMA’s fascination with octogenarians?
gma probably think old people were already harmless …..
Lurker: si putot ay Antique collector..if MVP id that old seguro akala niya seguro he wrote the original..ulianin na..
Christian: he may be harmless but certainly he is not armless..is he?
corr: nahawa na ako..da doble ang seguro sa itaas..
Ano naman ang tawag dito sa pagkagawa ng ads ni Villar :
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/04/05/10/did-villar-camp-copy-argentinian-politicos-ad
WaOrig.
Back to topic: This will blow off in a few days. MVP has a good reputation and I’m sure that he’s learned from this mistake. Who knows, maybe in the future (if he gets to speak again before graduating students!!!), he can cite this incident as something that fortified and strengthened him.
Gawd! I was so busy with other fires, I missed blogging about this one although read it right after it hit the headlines.
Well, he is MVP –
What can I say.
We loved that Oprah speech here in the US though. Most talked about.
“We loved that Oprah speech here in the US though. Most talked about.”
– Reyna Elena
Most talked about here too, in a negative way nga lang. 😛
well said ,, just because he is rich ,,everybody say he is right at apologizing..what if it is the other way around…would we still be singing hosanna for him???one should have deal with him will know what he is like,,, i should say his PR manager sure is a damn good one..
if you go against him,, beware of his money and power..you dont know what he is capable of…i understand that most of these big time newspaper or editor or writer dont dare goes against him,,,beware the wrath of mvp… just pulling out his advertisement from your newspaper will be a big blow…and you call him a gentleman???think again
Socialist Oba mao is a fraud:
http://www.examiner.com/x-37620-Conservative-Examiner~y2010m4d3-Investigation-reveals-numerous-bogus-claims-on-Obama-resume
Even New York Times weighed in on the incident:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/business/global/05speech.html?sudsredirect=true
Sorry, I accidentally closed this thread for comments earlier. It’s open again.
mvp had no choice but to admit his sin since he was caught in the act. corrupt persons can always deny due to lack of evidence.
“The other Manny (V. Pangilinan) is more prudent as he knew to say sorry (for plagiarizing others’ speech). He took responsibility even for his scriptwriters’ slip-up. But this other Manny, while he has already been busted, he is still trying to worm his way out of it,”
“He (Villar) even chose orange as his official campaign color, obviously mimicking President Joseph Estrada, who has been using orange as his official campaign color for more than 20 years,”
— PMP Spokesman
http://www.tribune.net.ph/
I imagine whoever helped him write that speech is now looking for another job.
mga OJT kaya ang gumawa nya 😀