Sara Duterte hounded by plagiarism allegations with children's book 'Isang Kaibigan'

"Mga kaibigan, puntahan po ninyo sa Google itong Owly, The Way Home o yung iba pang Owly Storybook Series for Children ni Andy Runton at kayo na humusga kung merong nangopya ng walang paalam (plagiarism) sa kanyang lntellectual Property Rights. Kaya marahil umusok kahapon nung matanong kung tungkol saan yung 'librong sinulat' niya at hindi kung saan ilalaan yung hinihingi niyang P10M!" one user claimed.

In comparing the two books, another user noted that the story is quite common, saying, "Is the story generic? Yes. Is it original? Maybe, but the similarity is uncanny."

Social media users particularly noted that Isang Kaibigan bears similarities with the second Owly book titled Just a Little Blue.

According to the synopsis, "Best friends Owly and Wormy have days filled with adventure and hearts filled with kindness. And when they discover a bluebird family living in a damaged tree, they want to help out the best way they can: by building the birds a new home! But when Owly and Wormy share their gift, the birds don't welcome the new birdhouse quite as Owly and Wormy had hoped. With a big storm moving in, can Owly and Wormy help get the birds (and their chicks!) to safety before it's too late?"

Unlike Isang Kaibigan, however, which has full page illustrations with accompanying paragraphs for the story, the Owly series follows a comic-style format.

A Facebook user also pointed out in the comments section of a post that the parrot in Isang Kaibigan looks quite similar to a parrot in an illustration that can be found on stock photography platform Shutterstock.

Other users, meanwhile, took to Duterte's defense. "It is not plagiarism if you ask permission. May alam 'yan sa batas. Tinagalog lang niya yan. Why not use a story that is popular for kids? Even teachers have their storytelling from books like Disney," someone pointed out.

"Sa mga nagsasabing plagiarized daw ang book na Isang Kaibigan dahil pareho daw ito sa book na Owly, let me ask you: May characters ba na Uwak, Tikling, Kalapati, at Loro sa aklat na 'yan?" a Facebook user wrote.

OVP denies plagiarism allegations

The OVP shut down the plagiarism accusations through its spokesperson Michael Poa, noting that the book "has a copyright registration and it has been registered since December 2023."

In an interview on One News' Storycon, publisher Andrea Pasion-Flores, who owns Milflores Publishing Inc., said Duterte's book is intended to be read with an adult. "It’s a children's story, for sure, it’s short enough for a young child to understand. I feel it’s not something that’s made for a child to read on his or her own, but for an adult to read with the child, so it could be a read-along book," she said.

She added that children's books cover serious topics, including calamities and disasters, that can be easily grasped by the young. "I feel that (Isang Kaibigan being a read-along book is) important because of the topic of the book. The book has a tragedy… that has to be explained to a young child because it’s very traumatic for someone to lose their homes and that’s probably a common experience among our countrymen in times of crisis," she continued.

Flores noted the meticulous process that comes with publishing books in the private sector. "Our contracts, when we procure… would have provisions wherein it is stated that the author assures the publisher that the work is original," she explained.

She, however, refused to comment on plagiarism accusations because she has yet to read Owly. "I can’t say categorically that it’s plagiarized. In the end, copyright is a private right. It’s the person who was infringed who must confront the infringer. I hope it’s not plagiarized," she said.

Duterte launched her book at Esteban Abada Elementary School on Nov. 21, 2023, in time for the culminating activities of the National Reading Month last year. The illustrations were done by Janina Simbillo and Joseph Caligner.

On why she chose friendship as the theme of the book, the first-time author explained, "The school environment is where most of our early social relationships are formed, and the story’s main lesson is to help children form valuable, fulfilling and long-lasting friendships."

"I hope that our students can aspire to be—and seek to surround themselves with—dependable friends that remain faithful through good times and bad times," she added. (with reports from Janvic Mateo)