MANILA— Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday denied that her ‘Isang Kaibigan’ book was plagiarized as some social media users have speculated.

“Napakadaling sumulat ng maikling kwento batay sa sariling karanasan, hindi na kailangang mangopya pa,” Duterte said in a statement.

(It is easy to write a short story based on personal experience. You don’t even need to copy.)

Duterte’s book tells the story of an owl who was abandoned by almost all of his friends after a storm destroyed his home.

When he grew lonely and hungry, a parrot offered to help him rebuild his nest and provided him shelter, showing that true friends do not leave each other in times of need.

Social media users had commented that her book was strikingly similar to ‘Owly’, a children’s book authored by American writer Andy Runton.

The book features an owl as the main character while the plot also teaches about friendship.

“Ang proyekto ay para mahikayat ang mga bata na mahalin ang pagbabasa at sumulat ng sarili nilang kwento,” Duterte added.

(The project aims to encourage the children to love reading and to write their own stories.)

“Hindi ang libro ang problema ng bayan kundi ang kahinaan sa pagbabasa ng ating kabataan,” Duterte said.

(The problem of the nation is not the book, but children lagging behind in reading.)

LOOK: Hontiveros receives VP Duterte's children's book after Senate hearing clash

ANOTHER BOOK PLANNED

Duterte said she intends to write another book.

“Abangan ninyo ang susunod kong isusulat na libro tungkol sa pagtataksil ng isang kaibigan,” she stressed.

(Wait for the next book that I will be writing about a friend’s betrayal.)

Duterte’s book was launched during the National Reading Month in November 2023 when she was the Education Secretary.

OVP Spokesperson Michael Poa said the book secured a copyright registration a month after.

Duterte’s book project was among those discussed during the Senate budget hearing on Tuesday when the Vice President accused Sen. Risa Hontiveros of ‘politicizing’ her agency’s budget for 2025.

OVP was asking for P10 million for the printing of the copies of the book to be distributed among young learners.

Hontiveros said she would move for the realignment of the funding for Duterte’s book, as well as some items in the OVP’s budget that overlap with programs of other government offices.

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