Mark Joseph Solis, a BA Political Science student from the University of the Philippines Diliman won in several International Photo Contests using a Plagiarized Photo of a Brazilian boy. The winning photo was stolen from Flickr account of photographer Gregory John Smith.
Kung laman ka ng Flickr at regular ka dun, you'd know Gregory John Smith as CARF, in fact he has a lot of Pinoys in his contact lists sa Flickr.
Mark Solis won the top prize for Embassy of Chile photo competition “Smiles for the World" which includes a $1,000 prize money and round trip tickets to Chile and ironically, Brazil.
3 Possible Reasons Why Mark Solis Duped Everyone (You can read more at this FB page)
1. Mark Joseph Solis is a fame whore. The kid would do anything to win.
2. Mark Solis did it for the money. Prizes he won include free trips abroad.
3. The kid is a brilliant sociopath and would fit well in congress.
Mark Solis letter of apology to Photographer Gregory John Smith:
22 September 2013
GREGORY JOHN SMITH
Children at Risk Foundation
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am writing to you to express my deep remorse and sincerest apologies for claiming your photo as mine. As the rightful owner of the photo, you deserve my initial thoughts and statement about this.Your photo was one of the most heartwarming photos I have ever seen, and I could only wish that I had the ability to capture such moments as well as you did. I kept it as wallpaper in my computer – an enduring reminder of what every amateur photographer should aspire for.Unfortunately, I was driven by my youth, lack of experience, and the inability to see the repercussions of my actions. The sheer amount of the prize, the stiff competition, and the unique opportunity to be abroad blinded me from undertaking what is supposed to be an honest and a rightful conduct. It was a regrettable lapse on my judgment, and no words can express how sorry I am for taking your photo as mine.I am now in close contact with the organizers, conveyed my apologies, and sought their opinion on the matter and how to proceed from here. I am surrendering everything that has been given to me in this competition, actually and virtually, and I take full responsibility for a disgraceful action and a grave moral lapse on my part. This recent turn of events has taught me to become humble, to have foresight, to be sensitive for the works of others, and ultimately, to take responsibility for my action. Again, I am in deep remorse for what I did. I am truly sorry, Sir Gregory.
Very respectfully and sincerely,
Mark Solis
Who is Mark Joseph Tajo Solis?
Mark Joseph Tajo Solis is a BA Political Science senior at the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines-Diliman, where he is a Diwa ng Magdalo Foundation and Wilfredo Keng Foundation scholar. From 2010 to 2011, he studied as a JASSO Fellow at the Kyushu University in Japan, took advanced courses under the Comparative Studies of Politics and Administration in Asia Graduate Program of the Faculty of Law, and served as a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies. His research interests revolve around decentralization and urbanization studies, peace and conflict studies, environmental politics, and comparative public administration.
Prior to his fellowship, Mark served as a regional intern in 2009 at the World Youth Alliance Asia Pacific, where he handled youth forums and social outreach initiatives, and then joined the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation as a social media desk cadet in the summer of 2010. A year after, he received the JENESYS Student Ambassadorial Grant from the Japanese Government-Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was also awarded a debate scholarship to Thailand by the Open Society Institute and International Debate Education Association. This year, he was named a Tunza Eco-generation Regional Ambassador for Southeast Asia by the United National Environment Programme.
A prolific academic writer, Mark’s papers have already been presented in several international conferences in South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, and the Philippines. Recently, his thesis entitled “Confronting Notoriety: The Rise of Warlordism and the Road to Peace in Southern Philippines” received a grant from the Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network (SEAHRN) and is bound for presentation in this year’s SEAHRN International Conference on Peace and Conflict in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Unfortunately, now and all his past work may be viewed with doubt now that he's been 'outed' as a plagiarist. So is Mark Solis a wannabee? Or just too driven to get anywhere at any cost?
Anyways, we'll forget about him in a few months, but if Mark Solis ever runs for public office, please don't elect another Sotto.
Penalize!!!!
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