8/7/2016 A.M. No.

12-8-8-SC

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RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila

A.M.No.1288SC
JUDICIALAFFIDAVITRULE

Whereas,casecongestionanddelaysplaguemostcourtsincities,giventhehugevolumeofcasesfiledeachyear
andtheslowandcumbersomeadversarialsyste1nthatthejudiciaryhasinplace

Whereas,about40%ofcriminalcasesaredismissedannuallyowingtothefactthatcomplainantssimplygiveup
con1ingtocourtafterrepeatedpostponements

Whereas,fewforeignbusinessmenmakelongterminvestmentsinthePhilippinesbecauseitscourtsareunableto
provideampleandspeedyprotectiontotheirinvestments,keepingitspeoplepoor

Whereas,inordertoreducethetimeneededforcompletingthetestimoniesofwitnessesincasesunderlitigation,
onFebruary21,2012theSupremeCourtapprovedforpilotingbytrialcourtsinQuezonCitythecompulsoryuseof
judicialaffidavitsinplaceofthedirecttestimoniesofwitnesses

Whereas, it is reported that such piloting has quickly resulted in reducing by about twothirds the time used for
presentingthetestimoniesofwitnesses,thusspeedingupthehearingandadjudicationofcases

Whereas,theSupremeCourtCommitteeontheRevisionoftheRulesofCourt,headedbySeniorAssociateJustice
AntonioT.Carpio,andtheSubCommitteeontheRevisionoftheRulesonCivilProcedure,headedbyAssociate
JusticeRobertoA.Abad,haverecommendedforadoptionaJudicialAffidavitRulethatwillreplicatenationwidethe
successoftheQuezonCityexperienceintheuseofjudicialaffidavitsand

Whereas,theSupremeCourtEnBancfindsmeritintherecommendation

NOW,THEREFORE,theSupremeCourtEnBancherebyissuesandpromulgatesthefollowing:

Section1.Scope. (a) This Rule shall apply to all actions, proceedings, and incidents requiring the reception of
evidencebefore:

(1) The Metropolitan Trial Courts, the Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, the Municipal Trial Courts, the
MunicipalCircuitTrialCourts,andtheShari'aCircuitCourtsbutshallnotapplytosmallclaimscases
underA.M.0887SC

(2)TheRegionalTrialCourtsandtheShari'aDistrictCourts

(3) The Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals, the Court of Appeals, and the Shari'a Appellate
Courts

(4) The investigating officers and bodies authorized by the Supreme Court to receive evidence,
includingtheIntegratedBarofthePhilippine(IBP)and

(5)Thespecialcourtsandquasijudicialbodies,whoserulesofprocedurearesubjecttodisapprovalof
theSupremeCourt,insofarastheirexistingrulesofprocedurecontravenetheprovisionsofthisRule.1

(b) For the purpose of brevity, the above courts, quasijudicial bodies, or investigating officers shall be
uniformlyreferredtohereasthe"court."

Section2.SubmissionofJudicialAffidavitsandExhibitsinlieuofdirecttestimonies.(a)Thepartiesshallfilewith
thecourtandserveontheadverseparty,personallyorbylicensedcourierservice,notlaterthanfivedaysbefore
pretrialorpreliminaryconferenceorthescheduledhearingwithrespecttomotionsandincidents,thefollowing:

(1) The judicial affidavits of their witnesses, which shall take the place of such witnesses' direct
testimoniesand

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(2)Theparties'docun1entaryorobjectevidence,ifany,whichshallbeattachedtothejudicialaffidavits
and marked as Exhibits A, B, C, and so on in the case of the complainant or the plaintiff, and as
Exhibits1,2,3,andsooninthecaseoftherespondentorthedefendant.

(b)Shouldapartyorawitnessdesiretokeeptheoriginaldocumentorobjectevidenceinhispossession,he
may,afterthesamehasbeenidentified,markedasexhibit,andauthenticated,warrantinhisjudicialaffidavit
that the copy or reproduction attached to such affidavit is a faithful copy or reproduction of that original. In
addition,thepartyorwitnessshallbringtheoriginaldocumentorobjectevidenceforcomparisonduringthe
preliminaryconferencewiththeattachedcopy,reproduction,orpictures,failingwhichthelattershallnotbe
admitted.

Thisiswithoutprejudicetotheintroductionofsecondaryevidenceinplaceoftheoriginalwhenallowedbyexisting
rules.

Section3.ContentsofjudicialAffidavit.Ajudicialaffidavitshallbepreparedinthelanguageknowntothewitness
and,ifnotinEnglishorFilipino,accompaniedbyatranslationinEnglishorFilipino,andshallcontainthefollowing:

(a)Thename,age,residenceorbusinessaddress,andoccupationofthewitness

(b)Thenameandaddressofthelawyerwhoconductsorsupervisestheexaminationofthewitnessandthe
placewheretheexaminationisbeingheld

(c) A statement that the witness is answering the questions asked of him, fully conscious that he does so
underoath,andthathemayfacecriminalliabilityforfalsetestimonyorperjury

(d)Questionsaskedofthewitnessandhiscorrespondinganswers,consecutivelynumbered,that:

(1)Showthecircumstancesunderwhichthewitnessacquiredthefactsuponwhichhetestifies

(2)Elicitfromhimthosefactswhicharerelevanttotheissuesthatthecasepresentsand

(3) Identify the attached documentary and object evidence and establish their authenticity in
accordancewiththeRulesofCourt

(e)Thesignatureofthewitnessoverhisprintednameand

(f)Ajuratwiththesignatureofthenotarypublicwhoadministerstheoathoranofficerwhoisauthorizedby
lawtoadministerthesame.

Section4.Swornattestationofthelawyer.(a)Thejudicialaffidavitshallcontainaswornattestationattheend,
executedbythelawyerwhoconductedorsupervisedtheexaminationofthewitness,totheeffectthat:

(1) He faithfully recorded or caused to be recorded the questions he asked and the corresponding
answersthatthewitnessgaveand

(2)Neitherhenoranyotherpersonthenpresentorassistinghimcoachedthewitnessregardingthe
latter'sanswers.

(b)Afalseattestationshallsubjectthelawyermentionedtodisciplinaryaction,includingdisbarment.

Section5.Subpoena.Ifthegovernmentemployeeorofficial,ortherequestedwitness,whoisneitherthewitness
oftheadversepartynorahostilewitness,unjustifiablydeclinestoexecuteajudicialaffidavitorrefuseswithoutjust
cause to make the relevant books, documents, or other things under his control available for copying,
authentication, and eventual production in court, the requesting party may avail himself of the issuance of a
subpoenaadtestificandumorducestecumunderRule21oftheRulesofCourt.Therulesgoverningtheissuance
ofasubpoenatothewitnessinthiscaseshallbethesameaswhentakinghisdepositionexceptthatthetakingofa
judicialaffidavitshal1beunderstoodtobeexparte.

Section6.Offerofandobjectionstotestimonyinjudicialaffidavit.Thepartypresentingthejudicialaffidavitofhis
witnessinplaceofdirecttestimonyshallstatethepurposeofsuchtestimonyatthestartofthepresentationofthe
witness. The adversepartymaymovetodisqualifythewitnessortostrike outhis affidavit or any of the answers
foundinitongroundofinadmissibility.Thecourtshallpromptlyruleonthemotionand,ifgranted,shallcausethe
markingofanyexcludedanswerbyplacingitinbracketsundertheinitialsofanauthorizedcourtpersonnel,without
prejudicetoatenderofexcludedevidenceunderSection40ofRule132oftheRulesofCourt.

Section7.Examination of the witness on his judicial affidavit. The adverse party shall have the right to cross
examinethewitnessonhisjudicialaffidavitandontheexhibitsattachedtothesame.Thepartywhopresentsthe
witness may also examine him as on redirect. In every case, the court shall take active part in examining the
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witness to determine his credibility as well as the truth of his testimony and to elicit the answers that it needs for
resolvingtheissues.

Section8.Oralofferofandobjectionstoexhibits.(a)Upontheterminationofthetestimonyofhislastwitness,a
partyshallimmediatelymakeanoralofferofevidenceofhisdocumentaryorobjectexhibits,piecebypiece,intheir
chronologicalorder,statingthepurposeorpurposesforwhichheofferstheparticularexhibit.

(b)Aftereachpieceofexhibitisoffered,theadversepartyshallstatethelegalgroundforhisobjection,ifany,
toitsadmission,andthecourtshallimmediatelymakeitsrulingrespectingthatexhibit.

(c)Sincethedocumentaryorobjectexhibitsformpartofthejudicialaffidavitsthatdescribeandauthenticate
them,itissufficientthatsuchexhibitsaresimplycitedbytheirmarkingsduringtheoffers,theobjections,and
therulings,dispensingwiththedescriptionofeachexhibit.

Section9.Applicationofruletocriminalactions.(a)Thisruleshallapplytoallcriminalactions:

(1)Wherethemaximumoftheimposablepenaltydoesnotexceedsixyears

(2)Wheretheaccusedagreestotheuseofjudicialaffidavits,irrespectiveofthepenaltyinvolvedor

(3)Withrespecttothecivilaspectoftheactions,whateverthepenaltiesinvolvedare.

(b)Theprosecutionshallsubmitthejudicialaffidavitsofitswitnessesnotlaterthanfivedaysbeforethepre
trial,servingcopiesifthesameupontheaccused.Thecomplainantorpublicprosecutorshallattachtothe
affidavitssuchdocumentaryorobjectevidenceashemayhave,markingthemasExhibitsA,B,C,andsoon.
Nofurtherjudicialaffidavit,documentary,orobjectevidenceshallbeadmittedatthetrial.

(c)Iftheaccuseddesirestobeheardonhisdefenseafterreceiptofthejudicialaffidavitsoftheprosecution,
heshallhavetheoptiontosubmithisjudicialaffidavitaswellasthoseofhiswitnessestothecourtwithinten
daysfromreceiptofsuchaffidavitsandserveacopyofeachonthepublicandprivateprosecutor,including
hisdocumentaryandobjectevidencepreviouslymarkedasExhibits1,2,3,andsoon.Theseaffidavitsshall
serveasdirecttestimoniesoftheaccusedandhiswitnesseswhentheyappearbeforethecourttotestify.

Section10.EffectofnoncompliancewiththejudicialAffidavitRule.(a)Apartywhofailstosubmittherequired
judicialaffidavitsandexhibitsontimeshallbedeemedtohavewaivedtheirsubmission.Thecourtmay,however,
allowonlyoncethelatesubmissionofthesameprovided,thedelayisforavalidreason,wouldnotundulyprejudice
theopposingparty,andthedefaultingpartypaysafineofnotlessthanP1,000.00normorethanP5,000.00atthe
discretionofthecourt.

(b)Thecourtshallnotconsidertheaffidavitofanywitnesswhofailstoappearatthescheduledhearingofthe
case as required. Counsel who fails to appear without valid cause despite notice shall be deemed to have
waivedhisclient'srighttoconfrontbycrossexaminationthewitnessestherepresent.

(c)Thecourtshallnotadmitasevidencejudicialaffidavitsthatdonotconformtothecontentrequirementsof
Section3andtheattestationrequirementofSection4above.Thecourtmay,however,allowonlyoncethe
subsequentsubmissionofthecompliantreplacementaffidavitsbeforethehearingortrialprovidedthedelay
is for a valid reason and would not unduly prejudice the opposing party and provided further, that public or
privatecounselresponsiblefortheirpreparationandsubmissionpaysafineofnotlessthanP1,000.00nor
morethanP5,000.00,atthediscretionofthecourt.

Section11.Repeal or modification of inconsistent rules. The provisions of the Rules of Court and the rules of
procedure governing investigating officers and bodies authorized by the Supreme Court to receive evidence are
repealedormodifiedinsofarastheseareinconsistentwiththeprovisionsofthisRule. 1wphi1

Therulesofproceduregoverningquasijudicialbodiesinconsistentherewithareherebydisapproved.

Section12.Effectivity.ThisruleshalltakeeffectonJanuary1,2013followingitspublicationintwonewspapersof
generalcirculationnotlaterthanSeptember15,2012.Itshallalsoapplytoexistingcases.

Manila,September4,2012.

MARIALOURDESP.A.SERENO
ChiefJustice

ANTONIOT.CARPIO PRESBITEROJ.VELASCO,JR.
AssociateJustice AssociateJustice

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TERESITAJ.LEONARDODECASTRO ARTUROD.BRION
AssociateJustice AssociateJustice

DISODADOM.PERLATA LUCASP.BERSAMIN
AssociateJustice AssociateJustice

MARIANOC.DELCASTILLO ROBERTOA.ABAD
AssociateJustice AssociateJustice

MARTINS.VILLARAMA,JR. JOSEP.PEREZ
AssociateJustice AssociateJustice

JOSEC.MENDOZA BIENVENIDOL.REYES
AssociateJustice AssociateJustice

ESTELAM.PERLASBERNABE
AssociateJustice

Footnotes

1ByvirtueoftheSupremeCourt'sauthorityunderSection5(5),ArticleVIII,ofthe1987Constitutionto
disapproverulesofprocedureofspecialcourtsandquasijudicialbodies.

TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

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