Disregarding the Filipino language

There was a time when we tried to blend and embellish our Visayan culture with the perceptively overbearing (my biased opinion alone) Tagalogs by singing our national anthem in our own dialect. Using the melody of Julian Felipe’s 1898 composition, Jess Vestil, (may his soul rest in peace), a Cebuano media icon, wrote the lyrics. It was the late former Governor Emilio “Lito” Osmena, (he is also now with the Lord) who spearheaded the singing of the “Yutang Tabunon.” Osmena authored this regionalistic move in protest of Executive Order No. 335, signed by President Corazon Aquino, in 1988, which mandated to use the national language in official government transactions. So, we sang “the Yutang Tabunon” with profound fervor.

We, of course, know that there is a constitutional declaration that the national language of the Philippines is Filipino. It is written as Section 6, of Article XIV of the fundamental law although it is supposed to evolve being further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. In other words, the Filipino language is not just Tagalog. Anchored on that constitutional directive of the linguistic evolution of our Filipino language, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, Republic Act No. 7104, (1991) was constituted. It was officially tasked with undertaking, coordinating, and promoting studies for the development, enrichment, and propagation of the Filipino language. Honestly, beyond reading RA 7104, I do not have yet any idea what has the commission achieved.

I remembered the law on Filipino as our national language when I viewed, on live stream, a session of the Philippine Senate few days ago. My heart throbbed when the session began because in times past, we heard the Demosthenes-like eloquence of Senators Raul Manlapus, Gerardo Roxas and Mamintal Tamano as we marveled at the Socratic brilliance of our Senators Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga and Arturo Tolentino. Their sagacious debates and philosophical discourses delivered in flawless English, resulted in scholarly legislation. Ah, what a proud historical vignette!

Anyway, here is what I saw. Senator Robinhood Padilla was asked to say the opening prayer. He knows that the invocation is a mandatory and official part of the session agenda of the Philippine Senate. So provides Section 43, Rule XIV, of the Rules of the Senate. Parenthetically, when the legislature holds a session, it is convened and actively conducting official business. In such state of official business, the medium of communication is Filipino (or English). To my surprise, Senator Padilla did not pray in Filipino or in English. He spoke in what sounded to me as a foreign language and strictly speaking, not authorized by the Constitution. I did not understand him neither did I actually know what tongue was he using. Candidly, I must also admit not knowing if there is any law that allows the use of any language other than Filipino or English in such official and formal function as a senate session.

I do not believe that Senator Padilla is ignorant of the Senate rules. His mastery of their rules was demonstrated in another scene. He took to task Senator Francis Pangilinan for allegedly raising his voice during a verbal exchange of ideas. To the actor/senator, Pangilinan was improper in his decorum, unparliamentary in his language and guilty of misbehavior. His basis? The Senate Rules. But, the internet says that raising one's voice during a heated debate is generally not explicitly categorized as an ethics violation under the Rules of the Senate. That being the case, Padilla, to my mind, only extrapolated the alleged Pangilinan parliamentary infraction from his unSocratic and vague understanding of their regulation. Even then, if he could draw such a speculative inference, Padilla surely knew that his use of a language other than the mandated Filipino was gross violation of the constitution as well

as their internal rules. Can this senator be sanctioned? Let us see what the senate does on this matter.