Word History

Beyond legal issues, case records also provide information about history and culture. Different cases in Supreme Court history have provided various (memorable) glimpses into our past through words which stamp dates thereon by their mere inclusion.

For example, do you remember when combos^[1] performed at night clubs^[2]? When bomba^[3] used to be shown and not thrown? When chicks^[4] roamed at night? When beauticians^[5] worked at beauty parlors^[6]? Bet you didn’t know that bagets^[7] could be drunk. Remember what “todas” meant?^[8] Or what a Combi^[9] or Toyopet^[10] was?

Oh, how some words have marked court decisions by eras to when men made fashion statements carrying clutch bags,^[11] wearing chalecos,^[12] corduroy pants^[13] and corduroy jackets,^[14] walking the streets with hair made neat with pomade.^[15]

Of course, any literature on Philippine culture (judicial or otherwise) will not be complete without “lagay”^[16] and “lutong macao”^[17]. And signs of political incorrectness like “chekwa”^[18] and “bombay”.^[19] Not to mention all-encompassing brand names like colgate^[20] for toothpaste, frigidaire^[21] for refrigerator and snowpake^[22] for erasing.

Words that not only backdated court decisions have also helped define our culture, like “baduy^[23] “palpak”, “praning”, “bading” and ‘badidang”^[24]. Let’s not forget, “Chikinini”^[25], “Carancho” and Chocaran”^[26], nor “Bagoong Singkaw” (whatever that means).^[27]

The Justices have even cited less than august language such as “utol”,^[28] “ayos”, “pare,”^[29] and “erpat.”^[30] Swear words like “gago”,^[31] “tanga”^[32] “leche”^[33] and “ulol”^[34] have also found their way into court records. Even “susmareosep” is there.^[35]

Talking about misguided name choices, suspects with the following aliases have practically done away with the need for witnesses to positively identify them: “Boy Bungi or Boy Bungal,” “Teddy Kulot,” “Rey Bakla,”^[36] “Buboy Nguso”^[37] “Boy Tatoo,”^[38] “Tisoy”^[39]“Boy Negro,”^[40] “Boy Taba,”^[41] “Lito Pilay,^[42] “Kalbo,”^[43] and “Komang”.^[44]

Aliases like “Boy Saksak”, “Dan Saksak” and “Rod Saksak” are definitely not helpful either. Guilty by self-description!

And what else can we say about men called “Junior Ipis”^[45], “Junior Otot,”^[46] “Junior Kulangot”^[47] “Surot,”^[48] and “Luga.”^[49]?

On a more positive note, the Supreme Court used the words “peace” 2,323 times, “love” 1,373 times, and “pag-ibig” 140 times from 1986 to 2006. At least, there are still words we can’t take issue on regardless of era.

[1] FILIPINO SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS, INC., vs. TAN [G.R. No. L-36402. March 16, 1987.]

[2] JOSEPH E. ICARD, vs. THE CITY COUNCIL OF BAGUIO, {G.R. No. L-1281. May 31, 1949.]

[3] CONGRESSIONAL COMMERCIAL CORPORATION, et al. vs. CA, et al. [G.R. No. L-59213. November 27, 1986.]

[4] PEOPLE vs. PERALTA [G.R. No. 128116. January 24, 2001.]

[5] SITON vs. CA, et al. [G.R. No. 94065. December 2, 1991.]

[6] supra.

[7] PEOPLE, vs. MAYORGA [G.R. No. 135405. November 29, 2000.]

[8] PAMPILO DE TORRES. [G.R. No. L-11815. January 31, 1961].

[9] RENO ARCAYA and EMMANUEL CEBALLOS The Honorable JUDGE VICTORINO C. TELERON, et al. [G.R. No. L-37446. May 31, 1974.]

[10] THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, vs. THE HONORABLE JUDGE GAUDENCIO CLORIBEL, et al. [G.R. No. L-20266. January 31, 1967.]

[11] PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS, INC. vs. INTERMEDIATE APPELLATE COURT, RENE V. PANGAN, SOTANG BASTOS PRODUCTIONS and ARCHER PRODUCTIONS. [G.R. No. 70462. August 11, 1988.]

[12] PEOPLE vs. LEOPOLDO PACAPAC, et al. [G.R. No. 90623. September 7, 1995.]

[13] PEOPLE vs. ARMANDO GIRENG y PINTO. [G.R. No. 97949. February 1, 1995.]

[14] PEOPLE vs. ROGER VICTOR. [G.R. No. 75154-55. February 6, 1990.]

[15] THE EAST PACIFIC MERCHANDISING CORPORATION vs. THE DIRECTOR OF PATENTS and LUIS P. PELLICER. [G.R. No. L-14377. December 29, 1960.]

[16] WILFREDO R. ANTONIO vs. SANDIGANBAYAN. [G.R. No. L-57937. October 21, 1988.]

[17] ARTEMIO ESPAYOS vs. ADELARDO G. LEE. [A.M. No. 1574-MJ. April 30, 1979.]

[18] PEOPLE vs. ROLANDO LUA y NERI. [G.R. Nos. 114224-25. April 26, 1996.]

[19] PEOPLE vs. OMAR MAPALAO and REX MAGUMNANG. [G.R. No. 92415. May 14, 1991.]

[20] PEOPLE vs. FEDERICO A. BRUCE. [G.R. Nos. 108604-10. March 7, 1997.]

[21] IN RE: PETITION FOR CONSOLIDATION OF TITLE IN THE VENDEES OF A HOUSE AND THE RIGHTS TO A LOT. [G.R. No. L-22331. June 6, 1967.]

[22] IN RE: AFFIDAVIT OF FRANKIE N. CALABINES, A MEMBER OF THE CO-TERMINUS STAFF OF JUSTICE JOSEFINA GUEVARRA-SALONGA, RELATIVE TO SOME ANOMALIES RELATED TO NO. 73287. [A.M. No. 04-5-20-SC. March 14, 2007.]

[23] COURT EMPLOYEES OF THE MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURT, et al. vs. SY, et al. [A.M. No. P-93-808. November 25, 2005.]

[24] PEOPLE vs. GATUDAN BALAG-EY, et al. [G.R. No. 141532. April 14, 2004.]

[25] PEOPLE vs . ALLAN CASTRO Y GALAPATE [G.R. Nos. 146297-304. August 22, 2002.]

[26] DELFIN PROTACIO, VS. ELEUTERIO DE LEON AND THE COURT OF APPEALS [G.R. No. L-21135. November 8, 1963.]

[27] ARMANDO DE GUZMAN AND MARIO PUA, VS. INTERMEDIATE APPELLATE COURT, et al. [G.R. No. L-69386. April 4, 1990.]

[28] PEOPLE vs. MONTEJO [G.R. No. L-68857. November 21, 1988.]

[29] PEOPLE vs. BANAAN, et al. [G.R. Nos. L-49385-87. July 2, 1986.]

[30] PEOPLE vs. GONZALEZ, JR., [G.R. No. 139542. June 21, 2001.]

[31] OCCENA vs. ICAMINA, et al. [G.R. No. 82146. January 22, 1990.]

[32]
JOCELYN TALENS-DABON vs. JUDGE HERMIN E. ARCEO [A.M. No. RTJ-96-1336. July 25, 1996.]

[33] LEONCIA CABRERA DE CHUATOCO vs. GREGORIO ARAGON and JUDGE ESTEBAN GARCIA. [G.R. No. L-20316. January 30, 1968.]

[34] APOLONIO BONDOC, G.R. No. 130612 May 11, 1999 LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION, et al. [G.R. No. 103209. July 28, 1997]

[35] DECENA, et al. vs. MALANYAON [A.M. No. RTJ-02-1669. April 14, 2004.]

[36] PEOPLE vs. APOLONIO HIZON y VELASCO. [G.R. No. 71273. July 29, 1988.]

[37] PEOPLE, vs. DANILO REYES y BATAC. [G.R. No. 135682. March 26, 2003.]

[38] PEOPLE vs. EDCARDO (EGAY) EBRADA. [G.R. No. 122774. September 25, 1998.]

[39] PEOPLE vs. TIRSO ARCAY. [G.R. No. 132373. October 23, 2001.]

[40] PEOPLE vs. ANTONIO HAMTON, et al. [G.R. Nos. 134823-25. January 14, 2003.]

[41] PEOPLE vs. CESAR LUCERO. [G.R. No. 84656. January 4, 1994.]

[42] PEOPLE vs. MANUEL CUSTODIO Y CARILLO. [G.R. No. L-30463. October 30, 1972.]

[43] PEOPLE vs. EMILIANO DURANAN. [G.R. No. 134074-75. January 16, 2001.]

[44] LIGAYA vs. SANTOS vs. DOMINGO I. ORDA. [G.R. No. 158236. September 1, 2004.]

[45] PEOPLE vs. MARLO CANIAL Y ALIMON, et al.. [G.R. Nos. L-31042-31043 August 18, 1972.]

[46] PEOPLE vs. BERNARDINO DOMANTAY. [G.R. No. 130612 May 11, 1999.]

[47] PEOPLE vs. ATILANO GILBERO. [G.R. No. 142005. January 23, 2002.]

[48] PEOPLE vs. JEROME HONRADA y JOBEN. [G.R. No. 91161. December 17, 1991.]

[49] PEOPLE vs. MIGUEL L. DELA CRUZ y LIBUCAN. [G.R. No. 101315. May 12, 1993.

NEWER POST       |       PREVIOUS POST