May 2026

Supreme Court Promulgates Decision in Filipino and Reinforces Constitutional Mandate of Accessible Justice

The Supreme Court of the Philippines released a decision written entirely in Filipino in the case of G.R. No. 210480, Mel V. Velarde and Angeline L. Macasaet v. Honorable Court of Tax Appeals, Third Division, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Department of Justice.

Penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh for the Court's Third Division, this decision shows the Court's effort to make the justice system easier to understand for ordinary Filipinos.

This is not the first time the Supreme Court has done this. As early as 1999, the Court released G.R. No. 125925, People v. Domasian, also in Filipino. This proves that using the national language in court decisions has long been part of the Court's work to bring justice closer to the people.

Significance of the Filipino Language

The Supreme Court said that language is key to delivering justice. Court decisions do not only affect lawyers and judges. They also affect ordinary people whose rights and daily lives are shaped by the law.

By using Filipino, the Court makes its rulings easier to understand. People no longer need to struggle with English translations or overly technical legal terms to know what the law says.

The Court also made clear that using Filipino does not mean sacrificing legal accuracy. Difficult legal ideas were still explained clearly and correctly, following proper legal standards.

This is part of the Supreme Court's bigger goal of building a justice system that is fast, fair, independent, and easy to understand. True access to justice means people should be able to understand the law and how court decisions affect them.

Through this decision, the Supreme Court reminds everyone that the law should speak in a language the people understand. Using Filipino in court strengthens public trust, includes more people, and fulfills the constitutional promise that justice is for everyone.


Atty. NA Gadrinab