The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) illegally fired seven contractual employees including two deaf people after complaining about the commission’s leadership. Consequently, they held a protest together with the Philippine Federation of the Deaf at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on May 31.

They protested and condemned KWF Chairman Arthur Casanova for the layoffs. The groups said the illegal removal threatens the functions of the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) Unit and deprives their right to language.

The commission implemented the decision to dismiss the staff on May 13. In its resolution, the staff were dismissed due to the “strained relations” within the commission after they filed a criminal complaint with the Ombudsman against the KWF Chairman in February. In the complaint, they exposed the delay in the salaries of the contractual workers and the loss of ₱1.8 million funds for the commission’s FSL Unit in 2023.

The central union of government employees Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) and Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) extended support to the dismissed staff.

“This action is inhumane and violates the rights and dignity of the deaf,” ACT said. The staff will only be at work until June 30.