Assistant Editor: Danielle Ann F. Gabriel
International confab tackles use of linguistics in solving crimes By MIA ARRA C. CAMACHO, MA. CONSUELO D.P. MARQUEZ and ROY ABRAHMN D.R. NARRA LANGUAGE plays a vital role in ensuring justice and equality, forensic linguists said during a three-day international conference that ran from July 7 to 9 at the Buenaventura G. Paredes, O.P. Building. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio emphasized the importance of forensic linguists in serving justice, as they can help judges decipher the intent of the law and arrive at the truth, at the opening of the 2nd Asian Regional Conference of the International Association of Forensic Linguists. “In the case of the judge, the purpose is to decipher the intent of the law. In the case of the forensic linguists, the purpose is to expose thoroughly. In both cases, we search for the truth, the [noblest] intent. I encourage you to search for the truth,” Carpio told delegates in his keynote speech. UST Graduate School Dean Marilu Madrunio, program coordinator of the conference, called for the further development of the nascent field. “The time is right in embarking on a collective drive towards further studies on FL (forensic linguistics) so that we can all help enhance and contribute to the development of the new order in achieving justice,” Madrunio said in her opening remarks. Language barriers The first day of the conference focused on the role of language in the curriculum of law schools and how it affects multilingual and multicultural issues confronting the justice system in Asia.
Linguists all over the world gather in UST for the second Asian Regional Conference last July 7 to 9. JAMILLAH N. STA. ROSA
Richard Powell of Nihon University in Japan said in his paper on bilingual education that the English language addresses professional needs, but promotes class division in Bangladesh. For instance, Bangladeshi lawyers are required to have proficiency in English before being allowed to appear in higher courts. Isabel Martin (Ateneo de Manila) also criticized the emphasis on English in Philippine law schools. Echoing Powell, she said English “has been kind of a wedge that separates people.” She attributed the poor bar exam results in the country to the low English proficiency of aspiring lawyers. Eva Ng (University of Hong Kong) said language barriers were prevalent in Hong Kong’s courtrooms. Her study found poor
communication between members of the Hong Kong judiciary as judges prefer to speak in English even if the majority of citizens know only Chinese. Uncovering deceit, lies The second day of the conference focused on the crucial role of linguistics in uncovering deception that leads to gender discrimination, sexual violence and other injustices. Isabel Picornell, International Association of Forensic Linguists secretary, told participants to watch out for linguistic strategies often used in false testimonies. “Linguists need to get involved because we have a lot of insights that people like psychologists, biologists, cognitive scientists and computer programmers don’t know about,” she said.
Elisa Ang of the University of the East in Manila explained the nature of police-report writing as “written for operational surfaces,” proposing academic courses to improve the writing and investigative skills of police trainees and officers. Thomasian Sophia Maye Andrade discussed the use of “yes or no” questions in trials of drug suspects, saying the technique could be used to manipulate answers and elicit desired ones. A study by the association’s vice president, Georgina Heydon, said the ability to tell a “good quality narrative account” in police interviews was essential in cases such as sexual assault. In addition, Heydon said research and norms would be able identify kinds of harassment (such as catcalling) as “unwanted” and “very degrading.” “There is [a] correlation between actions that denigrate or humiliate women and policies such as unequal pay towards women and violence against women. We know that statistically when you have greater equality between genders, you’ve reduced violence against women as well,” Heydon told the Varsitarian. Misleading product labels Forensic linguists also encouraged manufacturers of consumer products to use simple language on their labels and warnings to avoid product hazards on the third day of the international conference. University of Rizal System professor Shielanie SorianoLinguistics PAGE 5
Crime rate down in UST—security chief By THEODORE JASON PATRICK K. ORTIZ and MA. CONSUELO D.P. MARQUEZ UST SAW a significant drop in petty crime incidents this academic year, assessing the rising rate seen in previous years. Records from the UST Security Office showed only two reports of theft filed in Academic Year (AY) 2015-2016 compared with eight cases in AY 2014-2015 and 15 cases in AY 2013-2014. UST Security Chief Joseph Badinas attributed this to new security procedures such as assigning personnel in plain clothes to blend in with crowds and monitor public places like the Santisimo Rosario Church, UST Hospital and the Multi-Deck Parking Building. Badinas explained how “constant communication” with government agencies like the Philippine National Police (PNP) and coordination with barangays around UST helped reduce petty crimes.
Usapang Uste
MULA SA PAHINA 2
bilang magna cum laude. Tumanggap din siya ng Rector’s Award for Academic Excellence sa kaniyang pagtatapos noong 1962. Nanilbihan si Acuzar sa Sycip Gorres Velayo and Co., isa sa mga pinakarespetadong accounting firm sa Filipinas, bilang International Audit and Business Advisory Partner at tagapangasiwang direktor ng departamento ng Business Risk and Consulting Service mula 1986 hanggang 2001. Naging miyembro rin siya ng Audit Committee ng Board of Directors nito mula 2002 hanggang 2008. Isa siya sa mga nagtatag ng UST College of Commerce Almuni Foundation, Inc. noong 1992. Inilunsad din niya ang Meritorious
“‘Yung nangyayaring krimen, inaaddress namin sa kanila (PNP) para tulong-tulong ‘yung security natin at saka sila. Kapag may reported crime sa amin, ina-address namin immediately kung saan concerned na department ‘yun,” he said. More visible security measures To further enhance campus security, a police outpost was opened by the PNP last June 14 outside UST Gate 3, Badinas said. “Anytime na kailangan ng police assistance, madali lang [sila] lapitan. Ang magbe-benefit kasi talaga dito ay ‘yung four corners ng UST,” he said in a previous report by the Varsitarian. In 2013, UST and partner communities composed of schools, business establishments, the PNP and barangay patrols formed a citizen’s watchdog group called the Sampaloc-UST Neighborhood Watch (SUN Watch), which aims to improve safety and security in and
Award, parangal para sa mga indibidwal na nakapagaral sa Unibersidad na hindi bababa sa dalawang taon ngunit hindi nakapagtapos dito. Isa rin siya sa mga nag-ambag ng pondo para maipatayo ang kasalukuyang Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building. JOLAU V. OCAMPO
Tomasalitaan Lowat (png)–maitim na bilog sa ilalim ng mata ng maysakit o ng hindi nakatulog. Hal.: Paniguradong mababawasan ang aking lowat sa pamamagitan ng mahabang pahinga. Mga Sanggunian: The Varsitarian: Tomo XLIII Blg. 14, Oktubre 1, 1971 2014 TOTAL Awards Souvenir Program
News 3
JULY 27, 2016
Programs
FROM PAGE 1
expected to resume in AY 2018-2019 when the first batch of K to 12 senior high school graduates go to university. The 38 programs for which admissions were temporarily halted were: M a n a g e m e n t A c c o u n t i n g , Entrepreneurship, Nutrition and Dietetics, Education major in Pre-School Education, Food Technology, Education major in Special Education, Secondary Education, Library and Information Science, Painting, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Sports Science, Microbiology, Applied Mathematics, Major in Actuarial Science,
around the campus. “This is really an effort to tone down the crimes around the [University]. Probably we’ll see the effect in the near future,” Office of Student Affairs Director Evelyn Songco said in a phone interview. Applied Physics, Major in Instrumentation, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Travel Management, English Language Studies, Sociology, Asian Studies, Literature, Behavioral Science, Economics, Journalism, History, Legal Management, Philosophy, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Information Systems and Sports and Wellness Management. The Varsitarian has confirmed that 18 programs will admit freshmen this coming academic year: A c c o u n t a n c y, Architecture, Business A d m i n i s t r a t i o n major in Financial Management, Business
Ched heeds SC ruling, orders teaching of Filipino subject FILIPINO will still be included in the curricula of all higher education institutions (HEIs), based on a memo by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) in compliance with a Supreme Court order. Ched ordered all public and private HEIs last June 18 to continue the implementation of Ched Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 04 series of 1997, which requires students majoring in fields other than the Humanities, Social Sciences and Communication to take six units of Filipino. HEIs must also implement CMO No. 59 series 1996, where the minimum requirement for the general education curriculum of Humanities, Social Sciences and Communication courses is nine units of Filipino subjects. The Ched order was in compliance with the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court against CMO No. 20 series of 2013, which excluded subjects like Filipino and Literature from the general education curriculum as part of the K to 12 reform that added two years to basic education. Ched had required the transfer of a number of general education subjects to the new senior high school curriculum. Institutions that refuse to comply with the new order face sanctions, Ched said. KATHRYN JEDI V. BAYLON
Ex-UST rector frowns on K to 12 FORMER rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. has spoken out strongly against the K to 12 basic education reform, calling it a tool for “neo-colonists” to obtain cheap labor from poor countries like the Philippines. In his Manila Bulletin column last June 18, Fr. de la Rosa said he believed the “driving force behind the imposition of the K-12 scheme is not the quest for excellence, but pure market demand.” The K-12 system is an “offshoot of the inclusion of professional services in trade agreements among countries,” Fr. de la Rosa said. “Advances in communications technology made it possible for any work to be performed virtually anywhere on the globe, so even if K-12 graduates remain in the Philippines, they will still be employed as outsourced personnel of prosperous countries who are forever scrounging for cheap labor to further increase their profits,” he said. “The K-12 system therefore will further speed up the commercialization of professional services for the benefit of industrialized countries that are assured of harvesting a large pool of graduates every year. Unwittingly, we will be helping these countries to maintain their already overwhelming lead in trade, science and scholarship,” he added. Fr. de la Rosa warned against the loss of intellectual and cultural autonomy as the Philippine educational system caters to “neo-colonists”: multinational corporations, foreign businesses, media conglomerates and first-world universities. “The K-12 scheme is an indication that the government has succumbed to the pragmatic and
Administration major in Marketing Management, Communication Arts, Computer Science, Information Technology, Medical Technology, Music, Music major in Music Education, Pharmacy, Physical Education major in Sports and Wellness, Political Science, Biology, Interior Design, Psychology, Advertising Arts and Nursing. UST decided to reopen journalism and legal management in December because of “insistent demand,” but there were eventually very few enrollees, officials said. “When the first batch of freshmen enter the university system come AY 20182019, there will be freshmen from all courses, including journalism,” UST journalism coordinator Jeremaiah Opiniano said in a Facebook
K to 12 PAGE 5 post. To make up for the lack of freshmen, UST has opened a senior high school department and expects some 5,000 enrollees. The University also assured that the tuition rates will not be increased, and there will be no job cuts for faculty members as UST will tap its reserve funds to deal with the K to 12 transition period. The new academic year will open on Tuesday, Aug. 2 with the Mass of the Holy Spirit and the installation of Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. as Rector for a second term, at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church. Regular classes in UST will start on Aug. 9, Tuesday. KATHRYN JEDI V. BAYLON with reports from MARIA CRISANTA M. PALOMA and KATHLEEN THERESE A. PALAPAR