SEN. Robin Padilla has filed a proposed measure seeking the use of both Filipino and English in government issuances and documents to enable the public to easily understand their contents.
Padilla said it is “unfair” that all government issuances and documents are written in English, which he said is not understood by a big number of Filipinos.
As an example, he said the country’s laws and court decisions are written in English.
“Kailangan na talagang magkaroon ng parehas na pagtrato sa salitang Pilipino at English.
Halimbawa, kung may batas na nilabas na English, meron din dapat Pilipino. Kapag sinentensiyahan ka, dapat mabasa mo sentensiya mo sa salitang Pilipino, alam mo. (It’s about time that we have equal treatment of the Filipino and English languages. For example, if we come up with a law written in English, it should have a counterpart in Filipino. When someone is sentenced, he or she should be able to read and understand it in the language they know),” Padilla said.
“Kasi minsan, totoo ito, galing ako kulungan. Naiintindihan lang ng bilanggo ang sentensiya niya number lang. Pero bakit siya nasentensiyahan, hindi niya alam (This is true, based on my experience because I, too, was jailed. A prisoner can only understand the number (of years in his sentence). But as to why he was sentenced, he does not understand it),” he added.
He also said that government issuances and documents must be written in regional dialects where it is applicable.
Padilla said he is not against President Marcos, who wants the English language to be the medium of instruction in schools, but adding the Filipino language in issuances, laws, and court decisions can be easily understood by the people.
