Sereno: Economize words to improve communication

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday underscored the importance of "well-chosen words" in order to enhance communication lines.

In her keynote address during the 55th annual meeting of the Philippine Economic Society (PES), Sereno pressed on the "economy of words" amid the proliferation of alternative facts.

"Nowadays we have a circus of words, of tweets, of Facebook posts, of opinions. While we value the freedom of expression, it's also important to remember the value of well-chosen words," Sereno said.

She related it to her obligation as the top magistrate as "justices have to be concised in using words."

"We need our words to not get lost in translation. We need to have a discernment when writing our decisions which will serve us legal guides for the years to come," Sereno said.

"The same goes for anyone who wants to effectively communicate, for those in profession of law, medicine or business, with legal, business or medical jargons," she added.

"We may all be different groups with different target audiences but each one's immediate goal is to simply communicate, but to communicate effectively," Sereno said.

Sereno pointed out that in the time of social media where information channels are easily made available, it is necessary to "economize our words to improve communication lines."

"We speak with the intended effect. We need to focus. We need to think before we speak. There are so many ideas and discourses and so much room for fake news and alternative facts to grow," Sereno said.

"Our words can have power if we use them well," she added. "With our words we should be able to communicate and build bridges."

Sereno's remarks came days after Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has called on her to quit from her post "to spare the judiciary from further damage that would result from an impeachment case."

Attorney Josa Deinla, Sereno's spokesperson, had said Roque's call for the top magistrate to resign was "premature and misdirected."

Sereno is facing an impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo "Larry" Gadon, accusing the top magistrate of culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.

Deinla also reiterated that the charges against Sereno are baseless and she has remained unfazed with the allegations against her. — BM, GMA News