And the PH ‘word of the year’ is . . .

“TOKHANG” is the Philippines’ word of the year, according to Filipino language experts on Friday.

Writer Mark Angeles from the University of Iowa nominated the word that meant “to approach and talk” in Visayan.

“I have chosen the word ‘tokhang’ because for me, people often use this word without thinking of the bloody mishaps behind it,” Angeles told The Manila Times.

“Fake news” and “Dengvaxia” were ranked second and third from a list that also included “dilawan,” “DDS (Davao Death Squad),”

“federalismo,” “foodie,” quo warranto, “resibo,” “Train,” and “troll,” according to the Filipinas Institute of Translation, Inc. (FIT), University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Information Office (UPDIO), and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), which launched “Sawikaan,” a project that began in 2004 to monitor the growth of the Filipino language.

“Tokhang” is the name of the anti-drug campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under its then chief Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

Police knock on homes of suspects and talk them into kicking the drug habit and undergo rehabilitation.

“Oplan Tokhang” gained notoriety, however, after it was linked to thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings resulting from the police operations.

National Artist and KWF Commissioner Virgilio Almario of said that “tokhang” was chosen for its relevance to the Filipinos’ daily lives.

“The presentation of Angeles made a huge impact to his listeners and it shows how relevant the word is to our daily lives. The word is widely used whether the issue is about peace and order or not,” Almario said.

Below are the definitions of the other nominated words:

Fake news – false or unverified reports; Dengvaxia – the controversial vaccine, which can be fatal to patients infected with dengue for the first time; dilawan – yellow; associated with allies of former president Benigno Aquino 3rd; foodie – one who loves to eat; federalismo – proposed system of government that seeks to replace the current presidential system; DDS – an alleged group of assassins loyal to Duterte; quo warranto – extra-constitutional means used to oust then chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno; resibo – proof; Train – acronym for the tax reform package or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion; troll – a term on the internet used to describe an individual who sows discord in the online community by posting intriguing or inflammatory comments.