By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Without voices nor hearing, retrenched staff of the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) unit protested their plight last week at the height of their revolting emotions. Members of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf and their supporters gathered at Liwasang Bonifacio to challenge the unjust termination of the FSL Unit staff by the Commission on Filipino Language of KWF, chaired by Arthur Casanova.
This protest highlights serious issues within the KWF. The FSL Unit, established in July 2022 through an agreement to promote and teach FSL, is being dismantled without just cause. Staff members have faced months of salary delays and are now being denied their rightful compensation.
Such treatment directly contradicts the commission’s primary mandate to develop, propagate, and preserve Filipino languages, which explicitly includes FSL.
The irony is hard to miss. Last November, the KWF celebrated with the Department of Education the National Deaf Awareness Week with great enthusiasm, promoting the very principles they are now betraying.
The KWF, through Commissioner Benjamin Mendillo, even praised Republic Act 11106, which recognizes FSL as the national sign language and mandates its use in government transactions. This public display of support for FSL now seems hollow given the current actions of the KWF under Casanova’s leadership.
Compounding the problem is the question of the missing P1.8-million budget allocated for the FSL Unit in 2023. This fund, intended to support the unit’s activities, has disappeared inexplicably, resulting in unpaid interpreters and halted operations.
Casanova’s leadership is under scrutiny for this financial mismanagement. The lack of transparency and accountability raises serious concerns about the commission’s integrity.
Somewhat, Casanova’s recent legal triumph adds a layer of hypocrisy to the situation. Last March, the Court of Appeals reinstated his salaries following an invalid suspension, ruling that he had been denied due process.
It is perplexing that Casanova, having secured justice for himself, now perpetuates a grave injustice against the deaf staff of his commission. Condemnation from The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) seems in order, as Casanova’s contradiction underscores a leadership that fails to uphold the very principles it claims to support. As ACT had put it, “his action is not only inhumane but also undermines the rights and dignity of the deaf community.”
This issue can only be put to rest with swift and proper remedial actions rightfully demanded from the commission – an able body that should not, for any reason, act any more stupid.
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