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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Solon fights for P50-M budget to put Filipino sign language interpreters in justice system

Solon fights for P50-M budget to put Filipino sign language interpreters in justice system

Published Sep 25, 2025 09:12 pm

At A Glance

  • Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has secured a commitment from the House leadership to include P50 million in the judiciary's budget to finally implement the Filipino Sign Language Law in Philippine courts.
(Unsplash)
(Unsplash)


Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has secured a commitment from the House leadership to include P50 million in the judiciary's budget to finally implement the Filipino Sign Language Law in Philippine courts.
The Makabayan bloc member gained this commitment Thursday, Sept. 25 during the ongoing plenary debates on the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2026.
Tinio said this marks a significant step toward making Philippine courts truly accessible and inclusive for the deaf community.
During budget deliberations, Tinio raised the urgent need to include Filipino sign language interpreters for the deaf community in the justice system, a mandate that has remained unfulfilled for years due to lack of budget allocation.
"The Filipino Sign Language Law mandates that the judiciary, the courts, make available Filipino Sign Language interpreters to the deaf, who are in the courts or who are in one way or other transacting with the legal system," Tinio explained during his interpellation.
The veteran lawmaker emphasized the modest nature of the budget requirement, stating: "P50 million lang po ang pinag-uusapan natin (We're only talking about P50 million here). In the grand scheme of things, this is literally a rounding error."
To justify his request, Tinio highlighted the long-standing injustice faced by the Filipino deaf community.
"Ilang taon na po nag-hihintay ang ating Filipino deaf community (The Filipino deaf community has been waiting for years) that at least the justice system will in this way ensure accessibility and inclusiveness for the Filipino deaf."
The budget sponsor committed to work with the judiciary to secure the funding and pledged to write a separate letter to House Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III and Majority Leader Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos for the P50-million inclusion.
"This commitment represents more than just budget allocation – it is about ensuring that the justice system truly serves all Filipinos, including those with disabilities who have been systematically excluded from equal access to legal proceedings," Tinio concluded.
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