For someone like me who has been a disgruntled employee a couple of times in my previous jobs, the corporate world is a filthy jungle of backbiting snakes. I've seen people who would stop at nothing to climb the corporate ladder even if it meant trampling on their colleagues, scheming to get others in trouble, or degrading their own subordinates. I've seen the many faces of ruthless ambition in the companies I worked for in the past years. But among them all, it's that abominable face of incompetent bossism that immediately lures me to write a resignation letter -- my one liberating ticket out of a corporate hellhole.
Yes, there are bosses from hell and they are everywhere. Every corporate office is plagued with one or several of them. I often hear about (and actually see) corporate bosses who would shamelessly discredit their staff to save their own asses. Rarely do I hear about a boss who will take the blow for his subordinates even if it means tarnishing his own record.
This is why I found an opinion article in the sports section of today's issue of the Philippine Star very surprising and touching at the same time. It talked about the hullabaloo of the reportedly plagiarized speeches of Manny V. Pangilinan (commonly known as MVP initially to industry insiders but now to the Filipino public in general following his acquisition of trendsetting Filipino broadcast network TV5). The business magnate has been in hotwater lately after excerpts of the speeches he delivered before separate groups of graduating students were found to be plagiarized from famous speeches of foreign personalities such as Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Conan O'Brien, and J.K. Rowling.
Here's what Joaquin Henson, Philippine Star opinion columnist, wrote about MVP and the plagiarism issue in his column piece entitled "Where the heart lies":
Yes, there are bosses from hell and they are everywhere. Every corporate office is plagued with one or several of them. I often hear about (and actually see) corporate bosses who would shamelessly discredit their staff to save their own asses. Rarely do I hear about a boss who will take the blow for his subordinates even if it means tarnishing his own record.
This is why I found an opinion article in the sports section of today's issue of the Philippine Star very surprising and touching at the same time. It talked about the hullabaloo of the reportedly plagiarized speeches of Manny V. Pangilinan (commonly known as MVP initially to industry insiders but now to the Filipino public in general following his acquisition of trendsetting Filipino broadcast network TV5). The business magnate has been in hotwater lately after excerpts of the speeches he delivered before separate groups of graduating students were found to be plagiarized from famous speeches of foreign personalities such as Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Conan O'Brien, and J.K. Rowling.
Here's what Joaquin Henson, Philippine Star opinion columnist, wrote about MVP and the plagiarism issue in his column piece entitled "Where the heart lies":
Nobody doubts that MVP employs speechwriters just like any big businessman or captain of industry or even the President of the Philippines. The critics blame MVP for intellectual dishonesty by ascribing remarks in his speech as his own when in truth, they were others. MVP was pronounced guilty for making it appear that the remarks of Obama and company were his. Whether it was deliberate or intentional on MVP’s part to do it appears to be beside the point in the critics’ reckoning.
The speechwriters obviously went to the Internet or a library to research on past graduation speeches and liked what Obama and the others said in their remarks. They picked up portions from here and there, changed a few words in an attempt to disguise the paraphrasing and assembled a “new” speech for MVP. They didn’t count on being found out – which was their second mistake.
When the lifted portions were pointed out by a blogger in the Internet, MVP didn’t try to escape culpability by pointing to his speechwriters. He took the hit squarely on the jaw and like a man, apologized for it, saying he should’ve known better.
* * * *
I spoke to MVP about it after a PBA game at the Araneta Coliseum last week.
“It’s not that the speech was handed to me a few minutes before I read it,” said MVP. “I admit I was part of the process. I’m not the type to point fingers. The speechwriters are just starting out on their careers. It would be damaging to their future if their names were disclosed. I wouldn’t do that. That’s not my style.”
I was really moved by that part where MVP refused to put the blame on his speechwriters, expressing concern over the possible stigma the young writers might bear for the rest of their professional lives rather than his own reputation getting compromised in the whole issue. What a really noble man! This article really catapulted my admiration for MVP to the highest notch.
This shows that Manny Pangilinan is a man of principle who deserves to be emulated by every Filipino, especially those who are running high offices not just in the corporate world but in Philippine politics as well. Indeed, MVP is one living epitome of how business acumen and a good heart can co-exist and yield the kind of entrepreneurial success and social stature he now enjoys and truly deserves.
Mabuhay ka, MVP!
