"AN ANALYSIS OF SPEECH ACTS OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE

ON COVID-19"

Submitted by:
KENT RUEN O. ABSALON
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDENT

BUKIDNON STATE UNIVERSITY,

BACHELOROF ARTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

INTRODUCTION
A strange illness initially surfaced in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. This condition

rapidly disseminated over the entire world specially in Philippines and known as

COVID 19 or coronavirus illness. The WHO has confirmed that this illness is

pandemic, meaning that it is spreading at a global level and killing individuals in a

large number of various nations. According to the WHO, somewhere around 200 000

individuals died at the early part of May. Given that there are more instances each

day, the issue is becoming terrible.

Thus, Leaders use speech as a way to convey their strategic interests, present their

platforms, debate important societal concerns, and even denounce private behavior. It

is also regarded as the most recent means of establishing meaningful relations and as a

method of expressing opinions about governmental issues. Speeches is therefore not

just an activity but also a way to spread the word and meet the demands of the

audience in a given setting. This was quite obvious in Rodrigo Roa Duterte's political

speech, this was quite obvious in Rodrigo Roa Duterte's political speech on Covid-19.

Additionally, Mr. Duterte's lectures were good at amusing the audience, which aided

in convincing and grabbing their attention. Speeches therefore involve the function of

speech acts.

Additionally, it has a dynamic impact on carrying out particular tasks in order to

fulfill goals (how the utterances impact the listeners to perform actions). Speaking in a

way that is understood by others or using language in a certain way is simply one

aspect of language. Another component of communication is impact of the speaker's

words that compel audiences to respond in a specific manner. Some phrases or speech

that lead to "doing and performing actions" are known as speech acts in the language

study.
The speech act is an interesting area of research in the principles of language

considering the aim of language use during effective communication. Austin (1962)

was the first to formulate this hypothesis, and Searle (1965) decided to expand on this.

Austin had the view that there is greater to a person than their words alone. It shows

how a simple statement may develop into an action. However, relying on who is

speaking, who is listening, and how the circumstance is, it might also signify things

interesting. As a result, one single statement might produce one of three distinct

speech meanings; this is what Searle (1977) subsequently defined as the three kinds of

speech act. The locutionary act, the illocutionary act, and the perlocutionary act are

these. The actual translation of the speech is what is meant by a linguistic action.

Besides that, a lllocutionary act is a statement made with the speaker's intended

purpose in mind. Last but not least, the perlocutionary act relates to the impacts on the

hearers, especially his response to the speech.

Moreover, Searle (1969) emphasized that a speech act involves more of the speaker's

own purpose and considerations than it is about simply communicating facts. This

served as a reminder of the illocutionary act. This classification of speech acts

received significant attention in Searle's theory. The illocutionary point of an

utterance, according to him, is when someone commands, orders, promises, insists,

apologizes, or even asks. Later, he divided the illocutionary point into five categories:

declarative, assertive, directive, and commissive.

According to Neni Nurkhamidah (2020) this study aims to identify the illocutionary

speech act in a speech by Donald Trump on the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11,

2020, the address will be delivered in the Halls Of congress. This was a research

study that used Searle's concept of speech act (1979). The results demonstrate that

Trump used a varied quantity of each of the five kinds of illocutionary speaking acts.
He spoke assertively the most (54% of the time). He uses bragging, asserting,

explaining, telling, and indicating as forms of assertiveness in his discourse.

Commissive (29%) follows as the next type, which includes promising and

organizing. His speech falls under the directive category (15%) and is both ordering

and encouraging. His words when he complimented the listeners show that the final is

declarative (1%) and that expressive (1%) consists of gratitude.

Aren Yulitawis (2020) states that the purpose of this study is to examine the

humanism expressive speech behaviors of journalists during the COVID-19

pandemic. The free non-participatory approach was applied for the data collecting

process. The journalists' Comments during the COVID-19 Outbreak serve as the

data's primary data. 58% of journalists used direct speech act patterns with

imperative, interrogative, and declarative modes; 42% of journalists used indirect

speech act types with declarative-imperative, and 42% of journalists used declarative-

interrogative methods. The latest results indicate that the majority of direct speech

actions used by journalists are in the declarative style. Journalists frequently employ

indirect speech actions that use the declarative-imperative style. The purpose of this

study is to serve as a guideline for journalists so that their statements on the COVID-

19 pandemic would be acknowledged by community.

According to Raashid Nehal (2021), People use the language to make propositional

statements, entities, objects, state of affairs,and so on and fulfil functions such as

apologising, introducing, requesting and denying. Speech act can be described as the

action performed in uttering something, and the directivesare functions to direct

people's behaviour. Advice is a directive speech act. Different linguists classified the

advice into direct, indirect, and conventionally indirect. For such a lengthy time,

humans has used instruction in textual and spoken interaction. The speaker intended
to give benefit to the hearer when he /she gives advice. The present studyintended to

shed light on the notion of the pragmatics of communication of health advice incovid

-19. The World Health Organization's homepage provided the fifteen public health

recommendations for COVID-19 that made up the study's records (WHO). According

on their kind, methods, and advice, they have been broadly analyzed. Additionally,

the study attempts to determine how aware EFL students are of the Covid-19 health

recommendations, as well as what level of clearness and factual knowledge they

possess. According to the findings of the practical evaluation, directive advice is

frequently given, urgent strategies are often used, and advisory guidance is frequently

given. At a certain time, the actual interview finding showed complete, limited, and

non-conscious awareness of the Covid-19 health recommendations.

In her sixth public speech since entering office, the Queen Elizabeth II addressed

COVID-19, according to Yu, Lou (2020). This study applies systematic functional

linguistics to evaluate the speaker's speech texts, focusing primarily on the idea of

function. It shows that the speaker uses just four phases in her speech text: the verbal

process, the communicative procedure, the material process, and the resource

procedures. The UK's attitude to COVID-19 is discussed in this article's political,

social, and social consequences.In addition, this study analyzes China with the UK,

examines the various responses to the pandemic, and explores the initial social

context. By this study, the Queen's address primarily aims to recognize those fighting

the pandemic on the front lines and to inspire others to follow the British

government's appeal and approach the pandemic in a constructive way. The study

materials on generalization may be updated and enriched by using speech research

with meaning.
When giving speeches, President Duterte has never been free from criticism from the

press or his opposition, said Catherine Palmera-Blanco (2020). His distinctive ways of

articulating concepts, as well as his unassuming comments on delicate subjects, are

either appreciated or despised by others. Five transcripts of the President's national

speeches that were acquired from the Presidential Communication Operations Office

(PCOO) website were examined using Norman Fairclough's (1995) concept for

Critical Discourse Analysis. In order to understand how President Duterte's discourse

methods reflect his ideas and perspectives about governing his people, this study will

look at the language aspects that he uses in his speeches. The results showed that

Duterte used many verbal strategies to retain contact, persuade, and impose

dominance. Last but not least, it becomes clear from his speeches that he can easily

manage his listeners and further his goals by using a combination of indirect and

direct threats, positive examples in front of the crowd, and direct relationships with

his followers.

Dhani Aprilia Sesanti, Entika Fani Prastikawati, and Ajeng Setyorini (2021) state that

the researchers' purpose of this research is to describe the illocutionary behaviors that

are most commonly seen in Anies Baswedan's speech regarding Covid-19. In

selecting the data, the researchers followed a descriptive descriptive design. The

researcher has a tendency to examine the information using the discourse concept,

particularly a speech act presented by Anies Baswedan that was suggested by Searle

(1979). Illocutionary acts can be categorized into 5 categories: expressive, declarative,

directive, and representative. The data was then gathered from Anies in Mayoral

Meeting Cities Against Covid-19 Global Summit 2020 and analyzed using the

conditions. The finding implies that 102 data were discovered in the presentation.

Meanwhile, the representative 55 (53, 9%) is indeed currently the main number,
followed by the declarative 22 (21, 6%), the directive 12 (11, 8%), the expressive 8

(7, 8%), and the commissive 5 (4, 9%). The representative one then takes priority

seeing as the records serves to convey the message by declaring, characterizing, and

reporting a phenomena, such as Covid-19, as the problem that needs to be fixed. The

study, is therefore revealed, seems consistent with the ideas and earlier research on

the illocutionary act. A prior research, on the other hand, contradicts with the present

one.

In broader terms, the purpose of this study was to assist people understand that

published through spoken language are simply another language. Humans need not be

frightened of it considering it is related to the speeches. This research would also

assist members of the community in understanding that utterances in public speeches

have matching meanings, and that there is something to this word in public speaking.

For the most part, this is essential for English Language students since it will open up

the possibility for additional research into language and speech actions. It might

potentially offer expertise in the field of conferencing in the speech setting.

Furthermore, this study might be introduced as a supporting topic to studies on the

speech act theory.

Statement of the Problem

1. What are the kinds of speech acts used by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte?

2. What are the effects contained in the speech by President Roa Rodrigo

Duterte?

Conceptual Framework
Speech is premised on the fact that people perform various actions through the use of

words and when utterances are made, a particular act is performed; this is called

Speech Act.

Austin (1962) classified speech actions as belonging to one of three categories:

locutionary, illocutionary, or perlocutionary acts. An act of stating information, or

creating an utterance, is referred to as a locutionary act. The certain theory of speech

actions should focus on illocutionary activities. The explicit performative can be used

to identify illocutionary acts. Specifically, this refers to the usual force that was

attained by the speech. According to Austin (1962), this is accomplished by the

speaker's aim, which according to Searle (1969) is just the result of the audience's

perception. The impact or involvement on the listener or hearer's emotions, ideas, or

behaviors is known as a perlocutionary act. Acts of persuasion, inspiration, and

consolation all have an impact on the addressee's behaviours, actions, and opinions.

Hence, Searle (1969) categorizes the illocutionary acts into five classes:

(1) Assertives: Commit speakers to the truth of the expressed proposition, stating,

claiming, reporting, announcing.

(2) Directives: these are statements that compel or make another person’s action fit

the propositional element. It is usually used to give order thereby causing the hearer to

take a particular action, request, command or advice.

(3) Commissives: Commit speakers to some future actions, e.g., promising, offering,

swearing, to do something.

(4) Expressives: Count as the expression of some psychological state, e.g., thinking,

apologizing, congratulating.

(5) Declaratives: These statements are used to say something and make it so, such as

pronouncing someone guilty, resigning, dismissing, accepting, declaring a war.

During research, researchers are using Searle's categorization system. Understanding

political communication places an emphasis on meaning, which is primarily

dependent on the illocutionary impact of a speaker's words.

However, different intents are expressed by politicians in their speeches, including

those of informing, motivating, assuring, accusing, promising, directing, suggesting,

apologizing, disagreeing, criticizing, etc. This highlights the applicability of Speech

Act Theory to the data processing. The analysis use of the Speech Act Theory will

enable in-depth investigation of the vocabulary and grammar that the speaker has used

to infuse purpose into the specific language features of the chosen utterances.

Insights and ideas must be expressed in speeches for political purposes in a way that

the listeners and anybody else who may listen to or see portions of the speech later in

the media would agree with them. To change purpose in various ways, words and

phrases are added or subtracted. Additionally, a group of trained persuasive language

specialists produce political speeches on behalf of a professional organization. It's

possible for a political speech to be successful just by putting forward arguments

rather than having the facts straight (Bread, 2000, p. 18).

Several speeches are made to address the people before election; these speeches could

also be referred to Preelection special addresses especially at rally and campaign. A

political speech serves as a text, as an output and as a process which may be spoken or

written.

Pragmatics is seen as the study of language use in particular communicative contexts

or situations of necessity, this would take cognizance of the message being

communicated or the speech act being performed; the participants involved; their

intention, knowledge of the world and the impact of these on their interactions; what

they have taken for granted as part of the context; the deductions they make on the
basis of the context; what is implied by what is said or left unsaid (Leech, 1983, p. 20;

Watson & Hill, 1993, p. 146; Thomas, 1995, p. 7). Most politicians are unaware of the

fact that there is a link between what is said, what is meant, and the action conveyed

by what is said. In the study of political speeches, one major theory that has been

affective and adequate for analysis is the speech act theory.