VP Sara Duterte: Stay tuned for my next book about a friend’s betrayal

Vice President Sara Duterte FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday announced that she is set to write another book about “a friend’s betrayal.”

Duterte made the pronouncement as she defended her self-authored book “Isang Kaibigan” from critics accusing her of plagiarizing.

READ: VP Sara’s ‘Isang Kaibigan’ book sparks heated exchange in Senate

“Napakadaling sumulat ng maikling kwento batay sa sariling karanasan, hindi na kailangang mangopya pa. Ang proyekto ay para mahikayat ang mga bata na mahalin ang pagbabasa at sumulat ng sarili nilang kwento,” said Duterte in a statement.

(It is very easy to write a short story based on one’s own experience, no need to copy anyone. The project is to encourage children to love reading and write their own stories.)

“Hindi ang libro ang problema ng bayan kundi ang kahinaan sa pagbabasa ng ating kabataan (our problem is not the book but the reading weakness of our youth),” she added.

She then announced that she will be writing another book, this time, about a friend’s betrayal.

“Abangan ninyo ang susunod kong isusulat na libro tungkol sa pagtataksil ng isang kaibigan (stay tuned for my next book about a friend’s betrayal),” she said.

Duterte, however, did not state whether the book will be a direct sequel to “Isang Kaibigan” or if it will still be a book intended for children.

INQUIRER.net also asked the Office of the Vice President (OVP) if Duterte is intending to publish the book through the OVP, but has yet to receive a response, as of posting.

“Isang Kaibigan” was first launched in November 2023, but went under the limelight after it resulted in a heated discussion between Duterte and Senator Risa Hontiveros.

During a Senate hearing on the OVP’s proposed budget for 2025, Hontiveros requested additional details about Duterte’s book as her office is requesting P10 million to fund its publication.

Instead of answering, however, Duterte accused Hontiveros of politicizing the budget.

This resulted in a heated exchange between the two, with Hontiveros reminding Duterte that what she was asking about was the budget, and had nothing to do with politics.

Duterte and Hontiveros’ argument caught the attention of netizens, resulting in heavy clamor about Duterte’s book.

Allegations of plagiarism were even thrown online, after netizens pointed out that the book bore uncanny resemblance to an American graphic novel titled, “Owly Just a Little Blue,” by Andy Runton.

READ: Duterte, Hontiveros clash over ‘politicizing’ budget hearings

Some netizens also pointed out the similarity between the main character of “Isang Kaibigan” to one Canva’s (a graphic design platform) graphics.

At 16 pages—the story itself only being contained in eight—the book tells the tale of an owl whose home was struck by a storm. In his time of distress, a parrot came to his aid and offered the owl temporary shelter.