No plagiarism, next book about betrayal - Sara

She wrote the children's book with ease, based on her own experience, so there was no need to copy from anyone, Vice President Sara Duterte said yesterday as she denied allegations that her work was plagiarized.

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a statement posted on her Facebook account Wednesday night, Duterte said that writing a short story based on one's personal experience is a piece of cake, and that she is planning to write another book, this time about betrayal by a friend. She said the allegation that she committed plagiarism was another form of character assassination.

Durterte reiterated that the district Vice President (OVP)’s project to “encourage the youth to love reading and to write their own story.”

She said the country’s problem is not books, it’s the poor reading skills of the youth.

The 16-page picture book for children titled “Isang Kaibigan” became controversial after she engaged Sen. Risa Hontiveros in a word war during a Senate when the senator asked her what the book was about.

Instead of answering Hontiveros’ question, Duterte became visibly upset and accused the senator of “politicizing the budget of the government.”

Hontiveros was questioning the P10 million being requested by the OVP for the publication and distribution of the book under its proposed P2.037-billion budget for 2025. The book was purportedly meant for distribution to public school students.

Finance committee chair Sen. Grace Poe had to intervene to prevent the verbal spat between Duterte and Hontiveros from getting out of hand. Asked by Poe what the book was all about, Duterte said, “Friendship.”

The controversy over Duterte’s book did not end at the Senate hearing. Renowned novelist Ninotchka Rosca posted on her Meta (Facebook) account the cover of another children’s book “Owly: Just a Little Blue” written by American author Andy Runton.