• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance mandating the provision and accessibility of qualified Filipino sign language (FSL) interpreter in all police stations and precincts within Bacolod City, ensuring the rights of deaf and hard of hearing persons in law enforcement proceedings, was recently passed on first reading by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, the proposed ordinance said that data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and local records of Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) of Bacolod City indicate that a significant number of registered PWDs in the city have hearing impairments, thereby necessitating accessible communication mechanisms on public service.
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) regularly interacts with members of the public in various capacities, including custodial investigations, complaint intake, and emergency response, where clear and accurate communication is essential in upholding constitutional rights, it said.
The absence of qualified sign language interpreters in police stations may result in miscommunication, involuntary or uninformed statements, wrongful arrest, and violations of the constitutional rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, the ordinance said.
There is a need to institutionalize a system within the Bacolod City Police Office to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing individuals are afforded effective communication assistance at all times, particularly in situations involving deprivation of liberty or assertion of legal rights, it said.
To be known as the “Bacolod City Deaf Access to Justice Ordinance,” the measure provides that all police stations, substations, and precincts under the BCPO are mandated to ensure the immediate and effective availability of qualified FSL interpreters in all interactions involving deaf and hard of hearing persons, including but not limited to: filing of complaints, affidavits, and sworn statements; custodial investigations, interrogations, and taking of confessions, etc.
Failure to provide each assistance when required will be deemed a violation of the ordinance.
The Social Services and Development Department (CSSD), in coordination with the PDAO, deaf organizations, and relevant stakeholders, will conduct mandatory deaf awareness and sensitivity training for all BCPO personnel.
The BCPO will be the primary implementing agency of this ordinance.
The amount necessary for the initial implementation of the ordinance will be charged against the General Fund of the city. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its continued implementation will be included in the annual budget.
The ordinance provides penalties for any police officer or personnel who, without justifiable cause, refuse, fail, or neglect to provide access to qualified FSL interpreters when required under this ordinance will be subject to appropriate administrative sanctions in accordance with Civil Service laws, R.A. No. 7277, and other applicable laws, without prejudice to the filing of civil or criminal actions.*
