8/4/2015

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 adverse partymaymovetodisqualifythe witnessortostrike outhisaffidavit 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
isforavalidreasonandwouldnotundulyprejudicetheopposingpartyandprovidedfurther,thatpublicor
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
AssociateJustice
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PRESBITEROJ.VELASCO,JR.
AssociateJustice
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TERESITAJ.LEONARDODECASTRO
AssociateJustice

ARTUROD.BRION
AssociateJustice

DISODADOM.PERLATA
AssociateJustice

LUCASP.BERSAMIN
AssociateJustice

MARIANOC.DELCASTILLO
AssociateJustice

ROBERTOA.ABAD
AssociateJustice

MARTINS.VILLARAMA,JR.
AssociateJustice

JOSEP.PEREZ
AssociateJustice

JOSEC.MENDOZA
AssociateJustice

BIENVENIDOL.REYES
AssociateJustice

ESTELAM.PERLASBERNABE
AssociateJustice

Footnotes
1ByvirtueoftheSupremeCourt'sauthorityunderSection5(5),ArticleVIII,ofthe1987Constitutionto

disapproverulesofprocedureofspecialcourtsandquasijudicialbodies.
TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

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