logic - the pork barrel fallacies

THE PORK BARREL FALLACIES !1

Legal Technique and Logic: Term Paper on the Fallacies of Informal

Logic

Submitted to: Atty. Joaquin Obieta

Submitted by: Dizon, Hazel Y.

Mercado, Anton Marco N. Mondejar, Mary Kimberly Lucille L.

Raboca, Joyce Anne C. Tuao, Francisco Miguel

Block 1-E Ateneo de Manila University School of Law

March 18, 2015

FALLACIES

Table of Contents

Fallacies of Relevance Appeal to Emotion (Argumentum Ad Populum)4

Salamat, Kaibigan: Privilege Speech of Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. (June 9, 2014) Senator Miriam Defensor Santiagos speech on the pork barrel scam before the PH Psychiatric Association (January 21, 2014)

Appeal to Pity (Argument Ad Misericordiam)5 President Aquinos SONA (October 30, 2014) The privilege speech of Senator Jose Jinggoy Estrada (June 11, 2014)

The Appeal to Force (Argument Ad Baculum)...7 Luy tells court: Napoles brother threatened to kill him

The Argument Against the Person (Argument Ad Hominem)...8

Abusive8 The Untold PDAF Story That People Should Know: Privilege Speech of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (September 25, 2013)

Circumstantial.9 The Untold PDAF Story That People Should Know: Privilege Speech of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (September 25, 2013)

Irrelevant Conclusion (Ignoratio Elenchi)...10 Navigating the Crimes of the Plunder Mastermind: Privilege Speech of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (December 4, 2013)

Fallacies of Defective Induction Argument from Ignorance (Ad Ignorantiam).11

Linking Roxas to PDAF scam malicious Lacierda by Madel Sabater (September 5, 2013)

The Appeal to Inappropriate Authority (Ad Verecundiam)...12 Erap: Jinggoy careless but innocent in PDAF scam, Interview by Karen Davila (June 19, 2014)


False Cause 12 Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago addressing some 2,000 students of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Batangas City Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc13 Salamat, Kaibigan: Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.s Privilege Speech (June 9, 2014)

Hasty Generalization.14 Salamat, Kaibigan: Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.s Privilege Speech (June 9, 2014)

Fallacies of Presumption Fallacy of Accident15

Farce by Conrado de Quiros (March 17, 2014) Complex Question.16

Miriam Santiago on Napoles, Senate Hearing on Pork Barrel Scam (November 7, 2013)

Begging the Question.16 Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago addressing some 2,000 students of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Batangas City

Fallacies of Ambiguity Fallacy of Equivocation..18

Miriam Santiago Speech Banat Laban Sa Pork Barrel at Kapwa Pulitiko (August 28, 2013)

Fallacy of Amphiboly.19 Navigating the Crimes of the Plunder Mastermind: Privilege Speech of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (December 4, 2013)

Fallacy of Accent20 Body Language by Conrado de Quiros (February 16, 2014)

Fallacy of Composition..20 Inconvenient Truths by Conrado de Quiros (March 20, 2014)

Fallacy of Division..21 Is Miriam the only real senator left? by Rigoberto Tiglao (November 26, 2014)


Fallacies of Relevance Fallacies of Relevance are those fallacies in which the premises are

irrelevant to the conclusion.

I. Appeal to Emotion (Argumentum Ad Populum) A fallacy in which the argument relies on emotion rather than reason

A. Example 1

Salamat Kaibigan: Privilege Speech of Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. (June 9, 2014)

Lead this country not with hatred but with love. Lead the country towards unity and not partisanship. Push our nations interest and not political agenda. Bibihira ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na maging pangulo. At mapalad ka Pangulong Aquino 1

B. Explanation

The premise is directed to the President: [l]ead this country not with hatred but with love. Lead the country towards unity and not partisanship. Push our nations interest and not political agenda. Bibihira ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na maging pangulo, while the conclusion is [a]t mapalad ka Pangulong Aquino.

The speaker tries to support his conclusion that Aquino is lucky for being the President elect since only few men one every six years do get the Malacanang seat. However, with the use of expressive language, the speaker takes the reader away from the reality of how one wins the Presidency. Far from luck, winning an election comes down to ones resources, hard work, and popularity among many others.

Full text of Senator Revillas privilege speech Salamat, Kaibigan accessed at http://1www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/364925/news/nation/full-text-of-senator-revilla-s-privilege-speech-salamat-kaibigan.


http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/364925/news/nation/full-text-of-senator-revilla-s-privilege-speech-salamat-kaibigan

C. Example 2

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiagos speech on the pork barrel scam before the PH Psychiatric Association (January 21, 2014)

The public has already accepted that if there is pork barrel given to the Congressmen and Senators, they will surely steal the 10 percent. Thats why, if you are called ten percent-er, its really embarrassing but the public has accepted it anyways. After all, everyone [politicians] receives the 10 percent!

D. Explanation

The premise of the argument is [t]he public has already accepted that if there is pork barrel given to the Congressmen and Senators, they will surely steal the 10 percent. Thats why, if you are called ten percent-er, its really embarrassing but the public has accepted it anyways, while the conclusion is [a]fter all, everyone receives the 10 percent!

The speaker, in the hopes of supporting her claim that all politicians receive a ten percent kickback from their pork barrels, appeal to the multitude by making it seem like it is an accepted fact just because a lot of people believe in it. This is an example of appealing to the populace.

II. Appeal to Pity (Argument Ad Misericordiam) A fallacy in which the argument relies on generosity, altruism or mercy, rather than reason

A. Example 1

President Aquinos SONA (October 30, 2014) Because these funds were abused in the past, people are saying that perhaps we will abuse them todayeven if no one has accused us of stealing or using them in the wrong manner. Some propose to remove them completely. Would this be just? If only it were that simplebut what would we then do in case of natural disasters? Even if we were lucky and Congress was in session, it would take at least four months of debate before Congress can approve the funding we need. If you are in Zamboanga, with a child crying from hunger, and government tells you that it cannot help you just yet, it would need to haggle with Congress first


how would you feel? We have the money, and we have the mechanisms that will ensure this money goes where its needed most. Would it be right to deprive our countrymen of the care they direly need? 2

B. Explanation

The premise is because these funds were abused in the past, people are saying that perhaps we will abuse them todayeven if no one has accused us of stealing or using them in the wrong mannerEven if we were lucky and Congress was in session, it would take at least four months of debate before Congress can approve the funding we need. If you are in Zamboanga, with a child crying from hunger, and government tells you that it cannot help you just yet, it would need to haggle with Congress firsthow would you feelWould it be right to deprive our countrymen of the care they direly need? while the conclusion is, some propose to remove them completely. Would this be just? If only it were that simple. We have the money, and we have the mechanisms that will ensure this money goes where its needed most.

The speaker attempts to support his conclusion that the pork barrel system shall subsist by making it seem like if the same shall be removed, this child from Zamboanga will continue to suffer from hunger. Such argument commits the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to pity by painting a sad picture when in reality, the grants given under the pork barrel do not directly put food in the mouths of the hungry, much less alleviate poverty.

C. Example 2 The privilege speech of Senator Jose Jinggoy Estrada (June 11, 2014)

Milyung-milyong Pilipino ang nagbigay sa akin ng tiwala kaya ako ay nasa Senado. Hindi ako pinili at niluklok lamang ng iilan. Ang malaking bilang ng aking mga kababayan ang patuloy kong magiging inspirasyon sa pakikipaglaban hanggang sa dumating ang panahon na malinis kong muli ang aking pangalan

Aquino: 'I am the one now being called the 'Pork Barrel King'? accessed at http://2www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/42559-aquino-address-pork-barrel.


http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/42559-aquino-address-pork-barrel

na pinutikan ng mga taong mas unang dapat manalamin upang makita ang mga dungis sa kanilang mukha. 3

D. Explanation

The premise is Milyung-milyong Pilipino ang nagbigay sa akin ng tiwala kaya ako ay nasa Senado. Hindi ako pinili at niluklok lamang ng iilan. Ang malaking bilang ng aking mga kababayan ang patuloy kong magiging inspirasyon sa pakikipaglaban while the conclusion is Hanggang sa dumating ang panahon na malinis kong muli ang aking pangalan na pinutikan ng mga taong mas unang dapat manalamin upang makita ang mga dungis sa kanilang mukha.

The speaker tries to evoke pity by using expressive words to make it seem like he is in a miserable state. This is in support of his assertion that it is not him, rather, his detractors that actually have dirt to hide. He also tries to appeal to the populace by referencing to the number of voters that won him the Senatorial bid.

III. The Appeal to Force (Argument Ad Baculum) A fallacy in which the argument relies on the threat of force; the threat may be veiled

A. Example

Luy tells court: Napoles brother threatened to kill him by Jamie Elona (October 25, 2013)

Hayop ka traydor ka. Alam mo Benhur convicted criminal na ako, wala nang saysay buhay ko, papatayin kita para lang sa ate ko (I am already a convicted criminal. My life is meaningless already. I will kill you just for my sister), Luy quoted Napoles brother, Reynald Jojo Lim as saying last December 19, 2012, minutes after Napoles scanned Luys cellphone and saw messages from one Flor and Maya 4

Senate Press Release, Privilege Speech of Senator Jinggoy Estrada (Jun. 11, 2014) accessed at 3https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2014/0611_estradaj1.asp.

Jamie Elona, Luy tells court: Napoles brother threatened to kill him (Oct. 25, 2013) 4accessed at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/514029/luy-tells-court-napoles-brother-threatened-to-kill-him.


http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/514029/luy-tells-court-napoles-brother-threatened-to-kill-himhttps://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2014/0611_estradaj1.asp

B. Explanation

The premise, Hayop ka traydor ka. Alam mo Benhur convicted criminal na ako, is concluded by: Wala nang saysay buhay ko, papatayin kita para lang sa ate ko.

This is an example of argumentum ad baculum. Jojo Lim argues that since he is already a convicted criminal, he can do almost anything, with nothing to lose--even if this means, one day he decides to kill Luy. A fallacy of ad baculum is committed when threat of force is relied upon to win consent.

IV. The Argument against the Person (Argument Ad Hominem) A fallacy in which the argument relies on an attack against the person taking a position; an ad

hominem attack can be abusive or circumstantial

ABUSIVE A. Example The Untold PDAF Story That People Should Know: Privilege Speech

of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (September 25, 2013) Nakalimutan na yata ni coa chairwoman Grace Pulido-Tan ang resolution na ito because it was before the media that she dramatically presented the special audit report. Inilako at inilibot pa ni chairwoman Grace Pulido-Tan ang audit report sa iba't ibang tv stations. Emosyonal at ma-drama pa nga niyang sinabi na napahagulgol siya dahil sa kahindik-hindik na nakita nya sa coa report. Aba'y kahit ako o kayo ay mapapa-hagulgol kung ang isang report na ibinigay ay hindi kumpleto, walang ni-piso man lang na disallowance and even violative of coa resolution as to the way it was disseminated! Despite having taken nearly three (3) years to conduct, the special audit report was still incomplete in coverage. Chairwoman Pulido-Tan said that the audit covered only 58 percent of the total pdaf releases in the years covered (2007 to 2009) and only 32 percent of total vilp or releases to DPWH. Chairwoman Pulido-Tan atttributed this crudely done piece-meal report to DBM's failure to render the complete schedule of releases under the 2007-2009 PDAF and the infrastructure projects under the vilp of DPWHEither chairman Pulido-Tan is too lazy to do her job or she is ignorant of the main


function of COA or just plainly clueless as to what are being done by her resident auditors. 5

B. Explanation

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is questioning the integrity of the Special Audit Report prepared by the Commission on Audit (COA) for being incomplete in coverage and violative of a COA Resolution. He results to inflicting personal damage by attacking the character of the COA Chairwoman as a way of refuting the credibility of the Report.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL A. Example

The Untold PDAF Story That People Should Know: Privilege Speech of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (September 25, 2013)

Very clearly, Chairwoman Pulido-Tan failed to obey the constitutional mandate reposed on COA and that is, compliance audit focused on public accountability that disallow irregular, unnecessary, excessive and extravagant or unconscionable expenditures or uses of government funds. Add also the fact that she violated, and continues to do soChairman Grace, gumising ka na! Mukha yatang lagi kayong naje-jet-lag sa kaka-biyahe nyo sa ibang bansa. Lagi po siyang wala rito sa ating bansa, ginoong pangulo. Noong 2010, limang beses siyang umalis ng ating bansa. Noong 2011, siyam na beses. At noong nakaraang taon lamang 2012, sampung beses. Halos buwan-buwan ay umaalis siya. At ito lang taon na ito, hindi pa natatapos ang taon, siyam na beses siyang umalis ng ating bansa. Kahindik-hindik, di po ba? At mukhang mapapahagulgol din tayo dito. Chairwoman Grace, gawin nyo po muna nang maayos ang inyong trabaho at hanapin ang p69.2 billion pesos unaudited releases noong taong 2007, 2008 at 2009. At tapusin nyo na rin po muna ang pag-audit ng mga pondong nailaan noong 2010, 2011 at 2012. Huwag muna po ang pag-biyahe sa ibang bansa ang inyong atupagin. 6

Senate Press Release, Privilege Speech of Senator Jinggoy Estrada The Untold PDAF 5Story That The People Should Know (Sept. 25, 2013) accessed at https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2013/0926_estradaj1.asp.

Id.6


https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2013/0926_estradaj1.asp

B. Explanation

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada obliges that COA Resolution 97-006 has been violated; and calls to attention the fact that COA Chairwoman Grace Pulido-Tan has been out of the country a number of times in the past years. This is fallacious because an attack against Pulido-Tan and her trips abroad, is generally not relevant to the objective merits of Estradas arguments re: violation of a COA Resolution.

V. Irrelevant Conclusion (Ignoratio Elenchi) A type of fallacy in which the premises support a different conclusion than the one that is proposed.

A. Example

Navigating the Crimes of the Plunder Mastermind: Privilege Speech of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (December 4, 2013)

Enrile tried to portray me in the blackest terms. He pointedly ignored the fact that I am a laureate of the Asian Nobel Prize, the 1988 Magsaysay Award for government service. According to the official citation, the Award recognizes her bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a graft-ridden government agency. Media has noted that I am reportedly the most awarded Filipino public official, because I won such awards as TOYM, TOWNS, and U.P.s most outstanding law alumnus. 7

B. Explanation

Enriles allegations against Miriam, by correct reasoning, cannot be disproved by such awards. Its tantamount to manipulating the character of the argument to deliberately mislead and hinder rational inference.

Senate Press Release, Privilege Speech of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago Navigating 7The Crimes of the Plunder Mastermind (Dec. 4, 2013) accessed at https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2013/1204_santiago2.asp.


https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2013/1204_santiago2.asp

Fallacies of Defective Induction Fallacies where some common mistakes in argument arise because the premises, although they may not be totally irrelevant, are adequate to

warrant the conclusion

I. Argument from Ignorance (Ad Ignorantiam) An informal fallacy in which a conclusion is supported by an illegitimate appeal to ignorance,

as when it is supposed that something is likely to be true because we cannot prove that it is false

A. Example

Linking Roxas to PDAF scam malicious Lacierda by Madel Sabater (September 5, 2013)

Any suggestion that Secretary Mar Roxas is involved in any scam is malicious, I dont know why this is being made an issue. In his years of public service, Secretary Mar Roxas has never been tainted with any allegation of anomaly. So, if youre asking Secretary Mar Roxas if he is willing to provide documents, yes, he is willing to provide documents and all these can be found in the audit report of COA, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing. 8

B. Explanation

Even though Mar Roxas has never been involved in any scams, this does not constitute a permanent bar to any future scams.

Madel Sabater, Linking Roxas to PDAF scam malicious Lacierda (Sept. 5, 2013) 8accessed at http://www.mb.com.ph/linking-roxas-to-pdaf-scam-malicious-lacierda/#VOz3ZA0x4osbOlgK.99.


http://www.mb.com.ph/linking-roxas-to-pdaf-scam-malicious-lacierda/%23VOz3ZA0x4osbOlgK.99

II. The Appeal to Inappropriate Authority (Ad Verecundiam) An informal fallacy in which the appeal to authority is illegitimate because the authority

appealed to has no special claim to expertise on the matter in question

A. Example

ANC Headstart Interview of Karen Davila with ERAP (June 19, 2014) Karen: As a father and as a former president whos faced the same issues...do you believe that he misused his PDAF and placed it in Janet Lim-Napoless fake NGOs?

Erap: No, Ive been a senator, you just leave it, they ask for your pork barrel and just leave it to your secretary 9

B. Explanation

This argument is fallacious because Erap invoked his prior experience as a Senator in order to further his assertion that his son is not guilty, even though the fact remains that being a Senator has nothing to do with knowing whether or not a person has been guilty of such a crime in the pork barrel scam.

III. False Cause An informal fallacy in which mistake arises from accepting as the cause of something that is

not really its cause A. Example

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago addressing some 2,000 students of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Batangas City

The first time I challenged Enrile to a debate, he declined and instead called on Lacson to shower me with near-illiterate insults, including an oxymoron. If this second time Enrile again evades debate, that will be an admission that he is the mastermind of the plunder of some P10 billion of the taxpayers money;

ANC Headstart Interview of Karen Davila with Former President and now Manila Mayor 9Joseph Estrada (Jun. 19, 2014) accessed at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/06/19/14/erap-jinggoy-careless-innocent-pdaf-scam.


http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/06/19/14/erap-jinggoy-careless-innocent-pdaf-scam

and that he is insulting me on a personal level, as a diversionary tactic, and as a smokescreen for his criminality. 10

B. Explanation

Senator Santiago asserts that if Enrile does not agree to participate in a debate with her again, then he is admitting that he is the mastermind of the pork barrel scam. On its face, the argument is obviously fallacious due to the fact that Enrile could easily have other valid reasons why he could not agree to the debate.

POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC

A. Example

Salamat Kaibigan: The privilege speech of Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr.

(June 9, 2014) Mr. President, napakarami na pong mga tao ang nababanggit sa usaping PDAF. Napakarami na pong nasasaktan. Napakarami nang nasira ang buong pagkatao dahil sa pagbato ng putik na parang alkitran nakumakapit sa balat at tumatagos na hanggang kaluluwa. Pag nabanggit ka, tapos ka. Hanggang sa kaapo-apuhan mo, wasak na. Buhay ka pa, ibinurol ka na para panooring ng buong mundo, at pagkatapos, inilibing kapa.

B. Explanation

Senator Revillas argument is that once a person is implicated in the pork barrel scam, that persons life, family, and reputation comes to an end. This is fallacious because it implies that being mentioned in the pork barrel scam is what leads to the detriment of ones life and reputation. However, the fact remains that Bong Revillas situation came about not because he was mentioned in the scandal, but because he was allegedly involved in the illegal acts pertinent to the issue at hand.

Senate Press Release, Miriam to College Students: Dont Vote For Pork Barrel Scam 10Politicians in 2016 (Mar. 7, 2014) accessed at https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2014/0307_santiago1.asp.



IV. Hasty Generalization An informal fallacy in which a principle that is true of a particular case is applied, carelessly

or deliberately, to the great run of cases. A. Example

Salamat, Kaibigan: The privilege speech of Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. (June 9, 2014)

Panguluhan mo ang bansa sa kaunlaran at progreso para huwag masayang ang 6 na taon na ipinagkatiwala sa iyo. Napakasaklap na mahusgahan ka ng kasaysayan bilang isang tinimbang ngunit nagkulang. You still have 2 remaining years. Hindi tama at hindi maganda na maaalala ka at ang iyong administrasyon sa pagpapakulong lamang ng mga hindi mo kaalyado. Jailing your oppositors should not be the only achievement and legacy you will be leaving behind.

B. Explanation

This statement of Senator Bong Revilla implies that the President and his administration will be remembered solely for realizing the imprisonment of his political enemies. A hasty generalization is made because such assertion is derived from isolating President Aquinos jailing of his opponents to his other achievements. It presumes that this is the only legacy that President Aquino will be leaving be behind, based only upon the fact that there has been some arrests made upon his political enemies during his term.


Fallacies of Presumption Fallacies in which the conclusion depends on a tacit assumption that is

dubious, unwarranted, or false

I. Fallacy of Accident A fallacy in which a generalization is wrongly applied to a particular case.

A. Example

Farce by Conrado de Quiros (March 17, 2014) If Luy and Tuason and Cunanan have been forced or threatened into testifying, then surely it would be the easiest thing to show them up. Fearful people tend to be tremendously anxious and nervous and trip on their answers. 11

B. Explanation

In this example Luy and Tuason were improperly generalized as fearful people because the fact that they gave in to the threat of prosecution and chose to testify to avoid does not necessarily imply that the are fearful people. Moreover, being anxious and nervous when testifying under oath is normal especially given the circumstances of their case wherein theres is a dilemma between ratting out powerful individuals and facing serious criminal charges.

Conrado de Quiros, Farce (Mar. 17, 2014) accessed at http://opinion.inquirer.net/72691/11farce#ixzz3UZ7eO5Kw.


http://opinion.inquirer.net/72691/farce%23ixzz3uz7eo5kw

II. Complex Question A fallacy in which a question is asked in way that presupposes the truth of some proposition

buried within the question. A. Example

Miriam Santiago on Napoles, Senate Hearing on Pork Barrel Scam (November 7, 2013)

Ngayon palang sabihin mo na, sa tingin mo, sino ang pinaka-guilty sa mga nasangkot? 12

B. Explanation:

During the Senate Hearing on the Pork Barrel issue, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago asked Napoles this question. It is a complex question as it was asked in a way wherein it assumes that those implicated in the scandal were already guilty. Regardless of how Napoles responds to the question, it will be presupposed that all of those implicated are guilty and the only question to answer is the degree of guilt.

III. Begging the Question A fallacy in which the conclusion is stated or assumed within one of the premises. Also known

as petition principia or as a circular argument.

A. Example

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago addressing some 2,000 students of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Batangas City

Politicians who purposely refrain from participating in the national debate on the pork barrel scandal are politicians who are cowards, because they refuse to take a position for fear of incurring the anger of the guilty ones. This kind of cowardice is anathema to leadership, the feisty senator said. 13

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Hearing (Nov. 7, 2013) accessed at https://12www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZTic0o_gA.

Senate Press Release, Miriam to College Students: Dont Vote For Pork Barrel Scam 13Politicians in 2016 (Mar. 7, 2014) accessed at https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2014/0307_santiago1.asp.


https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2014/0307_santiago1.asphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZTic0o_gA

B. Explanation:

During this Address made by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago in Lyceum University in Batangas, she committed the fallacy of begging the question wherein the conclusion that the politicians who did not participate on the debate on the pork barrel issue are cowards is inferred and assumed immediately from the premise.


Fallacies of Ambiguity Fallacies caused by a shift or confusion of meanings within an argument,

also known as sophisms

I. Fallacy of Equivocation A fallacy in which two or more meanings of a word or phrase are used in different parts of an

argument.

A. Example

GMA News Coverage on Miriam Santiago Speech August 28, 2013 Banat Laban Sa Pork Barrel at Kapwa Pulitiko

The brain of a Filipino politician has two sides, the left has nothing right in it. The right side has nothing left in it. 14

B. Explanation:

Senator Miriam Santiago in this speech took jabs at her fellow politicians. In her usual humorous manner she referred to the left and right sides of the brain. This statement is a fallacy of equivocation wherein the words left and right were both used to express two different meanings respectively. (1) Left as in referring to a side and direction and (2) left meaning to go away or abandon. (1) Right as in referring to a side and direction and (2) right meaning correct or morally good.

Saksi Newscast: Sen. Miriam, Santiago, bumanat laban sa pork barrel at mga kapwa-14pulitiko (Aug. 28, 2013) accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKofqG8gRZs.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKofqG8gRZs

II. Fallacy of Amphiboly A fallacy in which a loose or awkward combination of words can be interpreted more than one way; the argument contains a premise based on one interpretation while the conclusion relies on a different interpretation.

A. Example

Navigating the Crimes of the Plunder Mastermind: Privilege Speech of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (December 4, 2013)

Despite all his posturing, Enriles specialty is only tax law. Hence, all his properties are either abroad, in the name of others, or in the name of corporations. In 1975, during martial law, he built a residence in exclusive Dasmarias Village. Two years later, he built a house in Valle Verde, registered in the name of Jaka Investments Corp., his family firm. In 1985, he built a huge beach house in his prime beachfront property in Natipuan, Nasugbu, Batangas. But in his SAL-N 2012, belying his wanton lifestyle, including corrupt minions and a private army on his payroll, he declared a net worth of only P118 million. His legal expertise is obviously tax evasion. 15

B. Explanation

In essence, amphiboly deals with a premise based on one interpretation, while its conclusion relies on a different interpretation. The example shows how meaning can be changed with the use of words. Tax law can be twisted to mean expertise in evasion of the same because Miriam Santiago uses the meaning of tax law innocently at the start of the paragraph, while concludes that it is malicious at the end.

Senate Press Release, Privilege Speech of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago Navigating 15The Crimes of the Plunder Mastermind (Dec. 4, 2013) accessed at https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2013/1204_santiago2.asp.



III. Fallacy of Accent A fallacy in which a phrase is used to convey two different meanings within an argument, and

the difference is based on changes in emphasis given to words within the phrase

A. Example

Body Language by Conrado de Quiros (February 16, 2014) What made this hilariously ironic, or ironically hilarious, is that Jinggoy read this from his own prepared written statement. If you cant trust yourself to say exactly what you feel at this very moment, how can you trust yourself to say exactly what you did years ago? Naturally you need to confer with others to check your recollection of things. 16

B. Explanation

The fallacy of accent basically requires that there be a different meaning to the sentence should emphasis on some word/s be added. This example is a simple case of sarcasm. The word naturally, if not emphasized, would affect the meaning of the whole idea of the paragraph, that one actually needs to confer with others to check his/her recollection of things. Emphasized, it would mean that one should not need to confer with others to check his/her recollection of things and to confer with others shows that ones recollection of facts is faulty.

IV. Fallacy of Composition A fallacy in which an interference is mistakenly drawn from the attributes of the parts of a

whole, to the attributes of the whole.

A. Example

Inconvenient Truths by Conrado de Quiros (March 20, 2014) Some 180 people are close to two-thirds the number of our congressmen. Even assuming that not all of them are congressmen, and not all of them are guilty,

Conrado de Quiros, Body language (Feb. 16, 2014) accessed at http://16opinion.inquirer.net/71645/body-language#ixzz3UZ9DHSE8.


http://opinion.inquirer.net/71645/body-language%23ixzz3UZ9DHSE8

180-plus is still an eye-popping number. Little wonder a group of baboons has also been called a congress. 17

B. Explanation

Essential in the fallacy of composition is that the inference is mistakenly drawn from attributes of the parts of a whole to the attributes of the whole. In this example, the author mistakenly infers that because some of Congress is guilty, the Congress as a whole is as stupid as a group of baboons (metaphorically, of course).

V. Fallacy of Division A fallacy in which a mistaken inference is drawn from the attributes of a whole to the attributes

of the parts of the whole.

A. Example

Is Miriam the only real senator left? by Rigoberto Tiglao (November 26, 2014)

History will condemn the 16th Congress as the worst ever Aquinos rubber stamp, especially for the 2015 budget. But what happened to the senators we would have thought had the brains, independence and courage to protest this ignominy that is the 2015 budget the economist Ralph Recto, the level-headed Sergio Osmena, the once swashbuckling Greg Honasan, the business-minded Cynthia Villar and the mestiza Grace Poe? Nancy Binay should be told she is not in the senate just to defend her father while Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should remember his father was a studious, bold opposition leader at least for a time. Are Loren Legarda and Pia Cayetano still senators? 18

Conrado de Quiros, Inconvenient truths (Mar. 20, 2104) accessed at http://17opinion.inquirer.net/72777/inconvenient-truths.

Rigoberto Tiglao, Is Miriam the only real senator left? (Nov. 26, 2014) accessed at http://18www.manilatimes.net/miriam-real-senator-left/144424/.


http://www.manilatimes.net/miriam-real-senator-left/144424/http://opinion.inquirer.net/72777/inconvenient-truths

B. Explanation

In the fallacy of division, an argument falsely assumes that what is true of a whole must also be true of its parts. The example gives the premise that the 16th Congress is a terrible one and concludes therefore that the individual congressmen and congresswomen in the 16th Congress are terrible congressmen and congresswomen. It is a fallacy of division because it is not necessarily true that if the Congress as a collective is terrible that the individuals that make up the Congress are each terrible at their jobs.


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