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Research Article

Ambiguity in Focus: A Forensic Discourse Analysis of Republic Act 11648

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Kyra Joy Malda , Jhenrose Nove Ebro , Karl Templado , Roseann Ibarra , Maico Demi Aperocho
Psych Educ Multidisc J, 2025, 48 (10), 1658-1670, DOI: https://doi.org/10.70838/pemj.481008, ISSN 2822-4353
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Abstract

Citizens enforce laws; therefore, legal documents must be understandable not only to legal experts but also to individuals who are not well-versed in legal language. This study analyzed the Republic Act 11648, or the Act Increasing the Age for Determining the Commission of Statutory Rape. In particular, the researchers aimed to unravel the ambiguities and the structure of this provision. Using Boyarskaya's (2019) Eight Classifications of Ambiguities and Coode's (1845) Four Elements of the Legal Rule as theoretical frameworks, the analysis of the texts reveals that ambiguity is circumstantial in assessing the effectiveness of Coode's standard legislative structure. The study's results showed that the eight classifications of ambiguities were present in the provision, and only two sentences contained all four elements of the legal rule. In addition, ambiguities limit the effectiveness, adequacy, specificity, and validity of interpreting the legal text, even though it follows Coode's Structure of Legislative Provisions. The analyses not only reveal that RA 11648 has ambiguities and follows a particular structure, but they also suggest existing issues in the Philippine legal context, particularly regarding references, grammar, structure, and vocabulary that need to be addressed. Ultimately, this study highly contributes to an in-depth view of the overall linguistic approach of the Philippine legal system through the lens of forensic studies.

Keywords qualitative research linguistics legislative provision Republic Act 11648 forensic discourse analysis classification of ambiguities elements of the legal rule, Philippines
Authors 5
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The team behind this paper

5 authors, 1 institution.

This paper University of Mindanao — Philippines University of Mindanao 5 authors Kyra Joy Malda — corresponding author KM Kyra Joy Malda ✉ Jhenrose Nove Ebro JE Jhenrose Nove Ebro Karl Templado KT Karl Templado Roseann Ibarra RI Roseann Ibarra Maico Demi Aperocho MA Maico Demi Aperocho

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620 reads over 12 months.

November 2025 October 2026

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Closest of 64 articles sharing keywords with this one. A rarer shared keyword counts for more than a common one.

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HolderWalletTokens
SciMatic 0xc35709…277732 100,000 (10%)
Kyra Joy Malda 0xad5620…B61639 180,000 (18%)
Jhenrose Nove Ebro 0xa14378…A67DE1 180,000 (18%)
Karl Templado 0x4AE534…4235cb 180,000 (18%)
Roseann Ibarra 0x80A303…ead34A 180,000 (18%)
Maico Demi Aperocho 0x7f6e5B…FfEB22 180,000 (18%)
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Bibliographic Information

Kyra Joy Malda, Jhenrose Nove Ebro, Karl Templado, Roseann Ibarra, Maico Demi Aperocho, (2025). Ambiguity in Focus: A Forensic Discourse Analysis of Republic Act 11648, Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 48(10): 1658-1670
Bibtex Citation
@article{kyra_joy_malda2025pemj,
author = {Kyra Joy Malda and Jhenrose Nove Ebro and Karl Templado and Roseann Ibarra and Maico Demi Aperocho},
title = {Ambiguity in Focus: A Forensic Discourse Analysis of Republic Act 11648},
journal = {Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal},
year = {2025},
volume = {48},
number = {10},
pages = {1658-1670},
doi = {10.70838/pemj.481008},
url = {https://scimatic.org/show_manuscript/6686}
}
APA Citation
Malda, K.J., Ebro, J.N., Templado, K., Ibarra, R., Aperocho, M.D., (2025). Ambiguity in Focus: A Forensic Discourse Analysis of Republic Act 11648. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 48(10), 1658-1670. https://doi.org/10.70838/pemj.481008

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