Linguistic gymnastics

Clear communication is crucial, particularly in legal contexts and in shaping public perceptions of information. Manipulating language can lead to various philosophical interpretations of meaning, intent and the ethical duties of individuals who use such tactics.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro’s explanation about the arrest of former Ako Bicol Partylist representative Zaldy Co provides a case study of the impact of linguistic gymnastics on governance and public trust.

Language can twist and turn, lying and creating nuanced distinctions that either clarify or obscure the truth. The result is manipulation and misunderstandings. Seeing Castro, referred to as “Ante Kler” by trolls and netizens, desperately trying to differentiate between the President’s use of the term “caught” (translated as “nahuli”) and the legal term “arrest” in response to reports about Co’s apprehension in the Czech Republic was quite unfortunate.

Rather than providing a clear report on what actually happened in Prague, her handling of Tagalog led the audience to accuse her of spreading fake news and being unwise.

According to Castro, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. used the word “caught” when he referred to the incident in Prague, rather than the word “arrested.” This distinction has sparked confusion among many individuals, including legal experts and concerned netizens. Castro suddenly found herself at the center of a semantic debate.

In Castro’s dictionary, “caught” or “nahuli” may mean “napahinto” or “na–stop,” not necessarily the strict legal term “arrest,” conveniently neglecting the context in which the word was used and in light of the Justice Secretary’s trip to Prague.

Netizens had a field day questioning her competence as a lawyer, a communicator and a Palace “clown.” “Hindi ka na nakakatawa, Ante Kler!” (“You’re not funny anymore, Ante Kler”).

Amid the chaos, a retired military general dropped a comment that easily went viral. “Ang ulam namin ngayon ay yung isdang “napahinto” or “na-stop” namin sa dagat kanina.” (Our meal today is a fish we stopped in the river earlier). Hilarious.

Poor Castro. She’s the lone voice that reminds us of the waste of a Presidential Communications Office. She had to deflect the public criticism of the President and manipulate language to shape facts to fit a specific storyline.

By framing Co’s liberty as merely restrained due to immigration issues rather than a formal arrest, Castro draws a troubling line that risks trivializing the seriousness of the situation.

When trust in public institutions is already at an all-time low, what Castro did only eroded confidence further. Unfortunately, she is not alone in this reliance on linguistic sleight of hand.

The fact that she felt compelled to issue clarifications in the first place shows a pervasive communication failure within the PCO. Effective communication is not about playing with words; it’s about conveying facts in a way that meets people’s need for information.

Filipinos deserve a government that respects their intelligence and offers unambiguous truths, especially when the integrity of its officials is at stake. Castro should realize by now that the backlash she’s getting proves that not all Filipinos are stupid.

As expected, Ante Kler left the group.

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