European Journal of Applied Linguistics Studies ISSN: 2602 - 0254 ISSN-L: 2602 - 0254 Available on-line at: http://www.oapub.org/lit Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved 184 DOI: 10.46827/ejals.v7i2.559 Volume 7 │ Issue 2 │ 2024 A POLITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE PHILIPPINE POLITICIANS’ SPEECH ACTS ON PEOPLE’S INITIATIVE: A FORENSIC LINGUISTICS STUDY Brandon N. Obenza 1i , Louie Jay R. Caloc 2 , Danilo G. Baradillo 3 1 University of Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines 2 St. John Paul II College of Davao, Davao City, Philippines 3 University of the Immaculate Conception, Davao City, Philippines Abstract: This political discourse analysis aims to unveil the speech acts and FTAs employed by Philippine politicians, their contributions to the persuasive power of political discourse, and their pragmatic implicatures on the People’s Initiative. This study utilized a qualitative research design using forensic linguistics through political discourse analysis, with corpus linguistics of 16 political speeches chosen through purposive sampling. The findings revealed that 18% of the discourse falls under FTAs, 42% for speech acts, 20% for persuasive power contribution, and 20% for pragmatic implicatures. This purports the complex relationships that exist between language, power, and persuasion in the political context. Keywords: political discourse, political speech, people’s initiative, forensic linguistics, Philippines 1. Introduction In the intricate tapestry of political discourse, language serves as a potent tool wielded by politicians to shape public perception, influence decision-making, and advance their agendas. Discourse analyses are concerned with the strategies and characteristics of speech, verbal actions, and communicative events that contribute to discourse production (Van Dijk, 1993). Within the Philippine socio-political landscape, the arena of the People’s Initiative stands as a crucial domain for discourse analyses where politicians engage in rhetorical maneuvers to garner support, sway opinions, and assert their positions. i Correspondence: email bobenza@umindanao.edu.ph