KWF Proposes Filipino Language Use in Impeachment Court

The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) is considering proposing to the Senate, which is acting as the impeachment court, the use of the Filipino language during its hearings. This move is expected to coincide with the commemoration of Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month) in August. KWF Chairperson Marites Barrios-Taran stated that the commission's board will discuss whether to send a letter to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero, requesting senators to consider using the Filipino language in the hearings. The letter might be sent next week. The Senate has been convening as an impeachment court since July 6 to hear the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. Taran suggested that discussions in the hearing do not have to be entirely in English, nor do they need to use profound Filipino. She believes that using both English and Filipino in a conversational manner would allow the public to better grasp the proceedings. Her proposal includes witnesses testifying in Filipino and the prosecution and defense questioning them in the same language, making the trial's discussions more accessible to the general populace. However, she clarified that legal and technical terms do not need to be translated into Filipino, as it might cause confusion. This initiative could mark a significant step in the Philippines' language policy, aiming to bridge the gap between the public and the judicial process. Source: Philstar Nation