Tag: news

Criminal law, media law, The News Media

“Person of interest” in the Stephanie Nicole Ella case

         The Inquirer uses the term “person of interest” in one of its headlines http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/334779/ex-soldier-person-of-interest-in-nicole-ellas-killing to refer to one of the neighbors questioned in the Stephanie Nicolle Ella case, an ex-soldier now barangay (village) official who owned a .45 cal. pistol.

     The headline-writer is very up-to-date: He/she must have thought: “Hmm, the lead says ‘almost tagged a suspect’; but we cannot use ‘near-suspect’, or ‘almost suspect’, or ‘ex-future suspect’…”

    “Person of  interest” is what U.S. police officers use to refer to those who are/ were included in the investigation but not officially considered a suspect; and it’s what American news agencies also use, quoting law-enforcement agencies, to protect themselves from any suit (the word “suspect” has derogatory connotation.) The term has found itself in certain U.S. criminal statutes:  “Person in interest shall mean the person who is the primary subject of a criminal justice record”.

     Although… I think this is still journalese or legalese or policelese/ coplese, so some journalists put it in quotes, in the same way as “LPA” or “low pressure area” is weatherlese… Now, how to translate that to Filipino… “taong may interes”? “taong pinag-iinteresan”, “taong kamuntik nang pagsuspetsahan”, “taong pwede pang pagsuspetsahan”?… take your pick.

 

News, The News Media

Monday morning news (underreported) 11-5-2012

“Mindanao warned vs flashfloods, landslides

from sunstar.com: “Sunday, November 4, 2012. THE state weather bureau warned areas in Mindanao against flashfloods

IMG_1086 name
IMG_1086 name (Photo credit: PHBascon)

and landslides as the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) continues to cause rainshowers and thunderstorms in the southern region….”

(blog admin’s note: the so-called “intertropical convergence zone” is  an area near the equator where strong winds from the north and the south join, causing the formation of clouds and heavy rains (from the American Heritage Science Dictionary); in other words, when strong winds join,  clouds build up, bringing heavy rains. “warned areas” — awkward; people are warned, not areas.)

(all photos are either public domain or under License CreativeCommons NonCommercial NoDerivs)

“Philippines missing activists

The Agony of Crispin (San Rafael, Bulacan)

from saudigazette.com.sa from a report of the Associated Press:   “Last Updated : Sunday, November 04, 2012 12:59 AM. Relatives of missing activists known as “Desaparecidos” or The Disappeared, display portraits of their missing kin during a rally at the ancestral home of Philippine President Benigno Aquino at suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines Saturday….”

(blog admin’s note: that’s the head, no verb. Also, Times Street is not suburban Quezon City; it’s residential but not suburban) (geez, why am i editing, i’m such an OC, stop na. this is just supposed to be curating five underreported stories for the day. i should just copy-&-paste mindlessly,  like most people do. )

“Fil-Ams Top Amerasian Voters in US

Manila Bulletin

Polling station
Polling station (Photo credit: warrenski)

MANILA, Philippines — Among Asian American citizens, there will be more Filipino Americans who will troop to the polls in the Nov. 6 United States presidential elections, a report by the National Asian American Survey (NAAS) said….”

(here i go again. this can still be edited — wanna make a go at it?)

“Canadian miner prepares Zamboanga del Sur project

Open Pit Mine
Open Pit Mine (Photo credit: Storm Crypt)

    from bworldonline.com: “ZAMBOANGA CITY — Canadian-backed TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc. (TVIRD) said on Friday last week that it is now in preparation phase for its gold and silver project in the town of Bayog in Zamboanga del Sur…”

(blog admin’s note: if an indirect quote, tense should be consistent. sowee; OC.)

 “Palaro host 

from tempo.com.ph: “Manila, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) announced yesterday that the      provincial government of Negros Oriental (Dumaguete) won the bid for the hosting of the Palarong Pambansa 2013…” (blog admin’s note: that’s the head, no verb)

xxx

(all photos are either public domain or under License CreativeCommons NonCommercial NoDerivs)