Dear Tito Sotto,
You are senator to all Filipinos—the millions who live at home and the millions who, like me, make a life abroad. You serve as a democratically elected leader both to those who agree with you and those, like me, who do not. You are answerable to us all.
Your critics accuse you of deliberately delaying voting on the Reproductive Health Bill. Others believe you have also plagiarized in your speeches and acted with conduct unbecoming a senator. It’s time you put that to rest, or allow immediate voting on the RH Bill.
As you know, the legislature and the media are key venues for public discourse on matters pertinent to the development of our nation. Discussion is vital to democracy. As such, Leloy Claudio and I issue you a challenge: a tag-team debate.
In one corner, Mr. Claudio and me. In the other, you and a partner of your choosing from your allies among the Catholic bishops. We can finally debate the benefits and faults of the RH Bill, as well as the legality, ethicality, and propriety of your unauthorized appropriation of other people’s work. No mudslinging. No ad hominem attacks. No senate immunity.
This debate is important because there remain questions that deserve answers. For instance, you’ve avoided allegations that, in addition to Sarah Pope and three other online sources, you also plagiarized the work of Janice Formichella and Peter Engelman, two American writers who tell me personally that you copied-and-pasted from their copyrighted work. Nor have you provided tangible proof that the pill Diane was linked to the very tragic death of your son, nor explained how your wife even took Diane in 1974 when it only existed in 1978. Neither you nor Hector Villacorta has addressed these issues.
Since you say copying is permitted in the Philippines, I propose a catchy name for our event: D'Thrilla sa Manila. Subtitled: Church & State vs. Academia & the Internet.
This will be streamed live on the Internet for the world to see.
To quiet the accusations that you are merely filibustering, this debate must occur no later than the day after your final turno en contra speech, and should cap discussion and guarantee voting in the Senate before the end of session. The wheels of democracy must be allowed to turn.
If you refuse this challenge, there’s evidently nothing more to discuss, and you must allow voting on the RH Bill to proceed immediately.
Sincerely,
Miguel Syjuco
Writer and concerned citizen