For court proceedings Priest pushes for more interpreters for the deaf

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – A Catholic priest who specializes in sign language interpretation has expressed hope that more court interpreters for the deaf shall be accredited in Negros Oriental as well as Congressional passage of a bill on interpreters for the deaf in court.

Father Christian Benjamin of the Diocese of Dumaguete disclosed that currently he is the only licensed court interpreter for the deaf in Negros Oriental, a skill he has been into for the past 11 years since his studies at the seminary.

Benjamin was summoned to appear in court on Tuesday to act as interpreter for a 21-year-old deaf female from Valencia, Negros Oriental who filed a rape case against her supposed attacker sometime last August.

The hearing was postponed to early December, which the priest said would give him more time to study the case so that an effective interpretation can be achieved.

Benjamin clarified that he is standing on neutral ground and will only act as interpreter for all parties concerned without bias to anyone.

The priest pointed out the need of more interpreters for the deaf in the province, not just because of his time constraints now that he is a full time priest and to avoid perceived bias, but because there are other deaf people that are not formally schooled on sign language.

Benjamin wished for the passage of a bill that he believed was still pending in Congress, allowing not just licensed or accredited sign language interpreters to participate in a court hearing, but other persons as well who can communicate with a particular deaf who has no formal education through a different and informal process.

These people have a concept or idea on how to communicate with the deaf using natural signs as opposed to the formal version of sign language, he said. This way, even the use of a different approach other than sign language can help the court interpreters arrive at maybe not a perfect message but at least the context of what the deaf is trying to say, he added.

A group of deaf interpreters is under the tutelage of Benjamin and he hoped that some of them will show interest in practicing the skill.

Benjamin, a member of the Philippine Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf, a national group that accredits court interprets in the country, told The Freeman that he can accredit other interpreters for the deaf once they have reached a certain level of expertise.

The priest first took the exams to become a court interpreter 11 years ago in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and had passed all four levels. According to him, a fifth level has been added to this particular examination for accreditation.

In the forthcoming hearing, the court has summoned a second interpreter, this time a deaf, to communicate with the rape victim. The second interpreter is a young mother who is a member of the Diocesan Association of Volunteers and Interpreters for the Deaf (D.A.V.I.D.) of which Benjamin has been mentoring for a few years already. (FREEMAN)