REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION
BRANCH 103, QUEZON CITY

ELENA G. CONTRERAS,
Plaintiff,
Civil Case No. 18-1711-97531
- versus -
For: Damages
BENJAMIN A. ABAD,
Accused.
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TRANSCRIPT

OF THE STENOGRAPHIC NOTES TAKEN BY

THE UNDERSIGNED COURT STENOGRAPHER
DURING THE HEARING ON THE TESTIMONY OF
THE DEFENDANT BENJAMIN A. ABAD BEFORE
THE HON. ________________, HELD ON
NOVEMBER 23, 2018 AT 8:30 IN THE MORNING.

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PRESENT

NAME OF JUDGE
Judge

NAME OF COURT INTERPRETER

Court Interpreter

NAME OF COURT STENOGRAPHER

Court Stenographer

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APPEARANCES

Atty. John Jacob Manzano ------------------------- Counsel for the

Plaintiff
Atty. ______ -------------------------------------- Counsel for the Defendant
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DIRECT EXAMINATION
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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 2
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DIRECT EXAMINATION
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COURT: Call the case

CLERK OF COURT: For presentation of evidence for the Defendant.

Civil Case No. 18-1711-97531. Elena G. Contreras vs. Benjamin A.

Abad. For damages.

COURT: Appearances.

ATTY. MANZANO: Good morning, your Honor. For plaintiff Elena

G. Contreras, I am John Jacob Manzano of BRAGCOMM Law Office.

We are ready, Your Honor.

(DEFENSE): Good morning, your Honor. For defendant Benjamin

A. Abad, I am _______________ of _______________. Also ready,

your Honor.

COURT: Thank you, counsel. What is the pleasure of the defense?

(DEFENSE): Your Honor, we respectfully call to the stand

defendant Benjamin A. Abad.

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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 3
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DIRECT EXAMINATION
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COURT: Call him to the stand.

CLERK OF COURT: Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to

tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

ABAD: Yes, sir.

CLERK OF COURT: Please state your name and other

circumstances.

ABAD: I am Benjamin A. Abad, of legal age, Filipino, single, and

residing at 17 Mahabagin Street, Teacher’s Village East, Quezon City.

CLERK OF COURT: Witness is Benjamin A. Abad, of legal age,

Filipino, single, and residing at 17 Mahabagin Street, Teacher’s Village

East, Quezon City.

COURT: Please sit down, Mr. Witness.

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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 4
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DIRECT EXAMINATION
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(DEFENSE): Your Honor, we are offering the testimony of

defendant Mr. Abad to prove that: one, _______________________

COURT: Any objection?

(PLAINTIFF): None, your Honor, but subject to cross.

COURT: Proceed with direct examination, plaintiff.

ATTY. MANZANO: Thank you, Your Honor. Mr. Witness, good

morning.

ABAD: Good morning.

COURT: Cross?

PROSECUTION : Yes your honor. We are ready to proceed with

cross examination
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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 2
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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COURT: Proceed.

PROSECUTION: Thank you, your honor. Mr. Defendant, do you

remember having executed a Judicial Affidavit for this case?

ABAD: Yes, sir.

PROSECUTION: Attached to the record of this case is a Judicial

Affidavit dated December 7, 2018, by Benjamin A. Abad and

previously marked as Exhibit __. Your honor, permission to approach

the defendant?

COURT: Proceed.

Prosecution: Thank you. I am showing the defendant Exhibit __. Mr.

Defendant, what is Exhibit __.

ABAD: That is my judicial affidavit, sir.

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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 3
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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PROSECUTION: At the last page of this Exhibit __ there appears a

signature above the name Benjamin A. Abad. Do you recognize this

signature?

ABAD: That is my signature, sir.

PROSECUTION: Please peruse Exhibit __. May we manifest that the

defendant is examining Exhibit__?

COURT: Noted. (Manifestation that the defendant is reading his

judicial affidavit).

PROSECUTION: Do you affirm the truthfulness of the contents of

Exhibit__?

ABAD: Yes.

PROSECUTION: Thank you Mr. Defendant. We will now proceed

with cross examination. Mr. Defendant, on Question 8 of Exhibit__ ,

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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 4
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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you mentioned that your relationship with the plaintiff was “volatile”.

Could you explain this?

ABAD: She was very hard to please and emotionally unsupportive.

PROSECUTION: In what way?

ABAD: She didn’t understand my schedule and demanded to go out

even during my exam period.

PROSECUTION: Exhibit __ on Question 8 reads that you broke up

with her to be with your live-in partner. Is this correct?

ABAD: Yes.

PROSECUTION: So your problem with the plaintiff is she took too

much of your time?

ABAD: Yes.
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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 5
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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PROSECUTION: Were your relationships with these two women

concurrent?

ABAD: No.

PROSECUTION: But in your answer, you said you broke up with the

plaintiff some time in December. So between then and when she

contacted you “for the last time” on December 23 2018, you had

developed another relationship?

ABAD: Yes. It was a whirlwind romance. We had a very special

connection.

PROSECUTION: You said on Question 13 that the police had

managed to seize your phone via search warrant on March 8, 2018.

Is this correct?

ABAD: Yes.
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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 6
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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PROSECUTION: How long have you had this phone?

ABAD: Since the release date, on June 2017.

PROSECUTION: So the phone was in your possession during the

pertinent dates when the alleged texts were sent, from December

2017 to February 2018.

ABAD: Yes.

PROSECUTION: Does your phone have the ability to delete texts?

DEFENSE COUNSEL: Objection! Irrelevant.

COURT: Overruled. You may answer.

ABAD. Yes, like every phone since the 32-10.

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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 7
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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PROSECUTION: Have you ever deleted a text?

ABAD: Yes.

PROSECUTION: May we manifest that the defendant just rolled his

eyes.

ABAD: I was looking at the lights.

PROSECUTION: Is it possible that you deleted the offensive texts

allegedly received by the plaintiff?

ABAD: No, because I can’t delete something that never existed.

PROSECUTION: So you claim the text messages never existed?

ABAD: Well, at least they never existed on my phone.

PROSECUTION: So they did exist, just not on your phone?

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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 8
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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ABAD: That’s a possibility.

PROSECUTION: How might that be possible.

ABAD: Someone else might have sent the message.

PROSECUTION: But with your phone?

ABAD: No, I said it wasn’t sent from my phone. I have a passcode.

PROSECUTION: But the number +639991434445 is your number, is

this correct?

ABAD: Yes.

PROSECUTION: Is this your only number?

ABAD: Yes, I only have one phone.

PROSECUTION: No more questions, your honor.

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CIVIL CASE NO. 18-1711-97531
ELENA G. CONTRERAS
VS BENJAMIN A. ABAD
NOVEMBER 23, 2018
PAGE 9
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CROSS EXAMINATION
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(CROSS-EXAM)

(REDIRECT)

(RE-CROSS)