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| Doublespeak/Double-talk |
It is important to highlight doublespeak to the public because "language isn't the invention of human beings to lie, deceive, mislead, and manipulate", so says William Lutz of the U.S. Doublespeak Committee. The organization since its establishment has sought to educate the public on the inherently deceptive nature of doublespeak to enable the unsuspecting, gullible public to be aware of the trick and to combat against doublespeak-use.
An annual Doublespeak Award was established in 1974, as an ironic tribute to those who have perpetuated language that is grossly deceptive, evasive, euphemistic, confusing, or self-centered. It is a way to discourage users and spread awareness on the problem that doublespeak has created in the world of language.The Committee is also tasked with informing the public of the extensive scope of doublespeak being used to deliberately mislead and deceive people.
Local Doublespeak
Earlier this week a ruling-party congressman threatened to impeach Supreme Court justices after a decision declaring all forms of pork barrel unconstitutional. The High Court's affirmation of a Comelec decision disqualifying Marinduque Rep. Regina O. Reyes was also included as part of the plan.
Blackmailing the Supreme Court?
United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) secretary-general and Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco said the impeachment threat only showed how desperate the administration has become even as the Palace has disowned the plan.
It will be recalled that UNA and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan earlier slammed the impeachment proponent, Cong. Umali of Oriental Mindoro, for trying to blackmail the Supreme Court into supporting President Benigno Aquino III’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) with the threat of impeachment. Nine separate petitions questioning the legality of DAP were earlier filed with the High Court.
In connection with the High Court's dismissal of Reyes' petition for certiorari against the Comelec, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte declared that the House is seriously considering the option of “rejecting” a Supreme Court ruling upholding with finality the disqualification of Reyes that could result in a full-blown constitutional crisis.
He later declares, “Not likely. I certainly do not support it,” Belmonte said of the plan to oust some SC justices for their supposed tyranny. Lamenting the said decisions, Belmonte said the High Court’s rulings on the two cases are legal and cannot be considered as grounds for impeachment. Yet those behind the plan have reportedly mustered a significant number of their party-mates to move forward the impeachment plan.
Double speak (another variant is double-talk), has also become woefully persistent in almost daily pronouncements uttered by some key personalities involved in relief operations going on in Central VIsayas for victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda and has resulted in unending confusion.
House Speaker axes SC impeachment plan
by Charissa Luci,
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| House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte |
“Not likely. I certainly do not support it,” Belmonte said when asked on the possibility of the House moving to oust some SC justices for their supposed tyranny.
While lamenting the recent decisions of the SC against the pork barrel system and the disqualification case against their colleague and fellow LP member, Regina Reyes as Marinduque representative, Belmonte said the High Court’s rulings on the two cases are legal and cannot be considered as grounds for impeachment.
“We may feel bad about the decision, may disagree with it, but that’s not a ground for impeachment,” Belmonte stressed.
Umali lambasted the SC for its flip-flopping decision on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) issue and its allegedly inconsistent ruling on Reyes’ case.
He even described the SC Justices’ order to prosecute those involved in the misuse of their pork barrel as usurpation of the Executive branch’s power.
The Oriental Mindoro lawmaker, who has also been dragged in the PDAF controversy, expressed confidence that his colleagues would rally behind his call, saying that most of them were irked by the SC ruling declaring PDAF as unconstitutional. The ruling effectively dislodged hundreds of thousands of scholars and medical indigents supported by lawmakers.
Umali said he is seeking to muster the support of at least one-third, or 99, of his 289 colleagues, the required number to move forward the impeachment complaint in the House of Representatives and transmit it to the Senate Impeachment Court for trial. MB
