Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Use of both Filipino, English in impeachment trial to make people understand proceedings

TACLOBAN CITY – The use of any language in the impeachment proceeding against Chief Justice Renato Corona will not be a problem as it cannot affect the process even if those involved in the impeachment process use both English and Filipino languages.

And for the ordinary people to understand it, it should also be used by their spokesmen, said An Waray party-list Representative Florencio “Bem” Noel.

“That is why we have spokesmen to translate, to narrate to the easiest term that everyone can understand,” said Noel, who was tasked by Congress to become their media facilitator for the impeachment process coverage.

The clamor to use Filipino language in the impeachment process heighted in the first week of thei trial, as most Filipinos were not able to understand some terms to include the proceeding for English was the language used by both the prosecution and defense panel to include the senator- judges.

“It is the job of our spokespersons to relate to the people, what had happened in the proceedings,” Noel stressed.

Noel added that there are instances that both camp and even senator -judges are using the native tongue.

“You can even hear Senator Santiago speak in Ilongo, sometimes,” Noel said.

“But using the native tongue in the trial also needs exemption because not all terms have equivalent Filipino words or translation,” Noel added.

Leyte Board Member Roque Tiu, when asked on the same matter,agreed the observations of Noel.

“It is good because most people will understand it,” Tiu said

“However, there are technical terms that have no equivalent translation to our local language, and when these were taught in school, it was the English term that were used and even Latin terms,” he added.

“One thing that they can do for people to understand is to use both languages when there are terms that can’t be expressed or translated into Filipino,” Tiu added.

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