The Power of Words in a Heated Hearing
The Power of Words in a Heated Hearing
Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™
July 22, 2026
You know how a simple argument over what to call something can feel way bigger than it seems? That's exactly what jumps out from this clip of a Philippine congressional hearing. On the surface, it's people bickering about whether to call the proceedings a "mini trial" or a "clarificatory hearing." But when you sit with it, it opens up some pretty deep questions about language, power, and how we shape reality itself.
Think about it. One person pushes back hard: "It's not a mini trial—it's a clarificatory hearing." Another brings up that a representative had called it a mini trial before. And someone else says, yeah, this is the mini version because the real deal happens later in the Senate. They're not just nitpicking words. They're fighting over what this whole thing *means*.
This reminds me of how philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein talked about "language games." Words don't have fixed meanings on their own—they get their power from how we use them in certain situations. Here, calling it a "mini trial" makes the hearing sound smaller, maybe even a bit rigged or theatrical. Switching to "clarificatory hearing" makes it sound official and neutral, like it's no big deal. The fight is really about whose version of the story gets to stick.
It also feels like what Jacques Derrida meant about how meaning is always slippery. One little word like "mini" brings in all these extra ideas—of something incomplete or less serious—and you can't easily shake them off. Even when people try to pin down the "right" term, the other meanings keep sneaking back in.
On a bigger level, this is about power. Michel Foucault would probably say these kinds of hearings aren't neutral ground—they're places where people use language to control the narrative and decide what counts as truth. By labeling it one way or the other, they're already steering how everyone sees the fairness (or unfairness) of the process.
If you go even deeper, it touches on almost mystical ideas about naming. In some spiritual traditions, names have real creative force—they don't just describe reality, they help make it. Call something a "mini trial" and you might accidentally make the whole thing feel smaller and less legitimate. It's like the words themselves carry weight that goes beyond the courtroom.
At the end of the day, this back-and-forth shows how fragile our systems of justice really are. They're built on words, and words are messy, shifting things. These politicians aren't just performing for the cameras—they're wrestling with something very human: our constant struggle to make sense of rules, fairness, and truth through the imperfect tool of language.
It's a reminder to pay attention to these moments. In politics, in court, or even in everyday arguments, the names we choose matter more than we think. They shape what people believe happened long after the hearing ends. And maybe the wisest move is to stay a little humble about it—knowing that no label ever fully captures the truth.
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Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™' s connection to the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) serves as a defining pillar of his professional journey, most recently celebrated through the launch of the ACC Global Alumni Network.As a 2003 Starr Foundation Grantee, Roldan participated in a transformative ten-month fellowship in the United States. This opportunity allowed him to observe contemporary art movements, engage with an international community of artists and curators, and develop a new body of work that bridges local and global perspectives.Featured Work: Bridges Beyond Borders His featured work, Bridges Beyond Borders: ACC's Global Cultural Collaboration, has been chosen as the visual identity for the newly launched ACC Global Alumni Network.Symbol of Connection: The piece represents a private collaborative space designed to unite over 6,000 ACC alumni across various disciplines and regions.Artistic Vision: The work embodies the ACC's core mission of advancing international dialogue and cultural exchange to foster a more harmonious world.Legacy of Excellence: By serving as the face of this initiative, Roldan's art highlights the enduring impact of the ACC fellowship on his career and his role in the global artistic community.Just featured at https://www.pressenza.com/2026/01/the-asian-cultural-council-global-alumni-network-amiel-gerald-a-roldan/
He is a Filipino multidisciplinary visual artist, printmaker, painter, independent curator, researcher, writer, and cultural worker whose practice spans contemporary art, curatorial work, and cultural advocacy. He has been active in the Philippine art scene since the late 1990s and has worked with galleries, museums, artist-run spaces, and international cultural organizations.
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A multidisciplinary Filipino artist, poet, researcher, and cultural worker whose practice spans painting, printmaking, photography, installation, and writing. He is deeply rooted in cultural memory, postcolonial critique, and in bridging creative practice with scholarly infrastructure—building counter-archives, annotating speculative poetry like Southeast Asian manuscripts, and fostering regional solidarity through ethical art collaboration.
He has been active in the Philippine art scene since the late 1990s and has worked with galleries, museums, artist-run spaces, and international cultural organizations.His practice appears to represent several interconnected concerns:
Cultural work as artistic practice. Roldan has argued that the labor of curating, organizing exhibitions, teaching, documentation, and cultural administration should be understood as creative work rather than merely support work. This perspective has been reflected in his writings and exhibitions.
Social and political engagement. His artworks frequently address politics, religion, faith, denial, courage, social inequality, and the everyday experiences of Filipinos. He has stated that he draws inspiration from Filipino cultural practices while approaching painting, printmaking, and installation from a conceptual perspective.
Printmaking and conceptual art. Roldan is particularly recognized for his printmaking, with works shown internationally, including exhibitions in Japan and France. His practice also encompasses painting, photography, installation, and curatorial research.
International cultural exchange. A significant milestone in his career was receiving an Asian Cultural Council fellowship in 2003, which enabled him to undertake research and create work in the United States while engaging with artists and curators internationally.
More broadly, Roldan's work represents an attempt to bridge artistic production, curatorial practice, scholarship, and cultural activism. His writings often emphasize postcolonial discourse, cultural memory, and the ethics of artistic collaboration, positioning the artist not only as a maker of objects but also as a builder of cultural infrastructure.
In the Philippine contemporary art context, he can be understood as representing the figure of the artist-curator-cultural worker—someone who contributes both through making artworks and through developing exhibitions, mentoring artists, and fostering institutional and independent cultural initiatives.
Recent show at ILOMOCA
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Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™ started Independent Curatorial Manila™ as a nonprofit philanthropy while working for institutions simultaneously early on.
The Independent Curatorial Manila™ or ICM™ is a curatorial services and guide for emerging artists in the Philippines. It is an independent/voluntary services entity and aims to remain so. Selection is through proposal and a prerogative temporarily. Contact above for inquiries.
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