SCRIPT OF THE PROCEEDINGS
COURT INTERPRETER: All rise! The Court is now in session! Silence is
hereby enjoined! The Honorable Mario O.
Quinit, Presiding!
JUDGE: Good morning! Call the case.
INTERPRETER: Criminal Case No. R-TAC-0000-1234-HC, People of the
Philippines versus Vince Mejos, for Murder!
COURT: Appearances.
PROSECUTORS: Good morning Your Honor! Pros. X, Pros. Y, and Pros. Z
respectfully appearing for the People, your Honor.
DEFENSE COUNSELS: Good morning Your Honor, Atty. A, Atty. B, and
Atty. C, respectfully appearing for the accused,
Your Honor!
COURT: Is the prosecution ready?
PROSECUTION: Yes, Your Honor!
COURT: All right. Call your witness to the witness stand.
1st PROSECUTOR: May I call to the witness stand, Don Jordan.
COURT: To the witness stand. (Don Jordan will approach the witness
stand)
COURT: Swear in the witness.
COURT INTERPRETER: (To Don Jordan) Please raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth in these proceedings.
WITNESS DON JORDAN: Yes, I do swear.
COURT INTERPRETER: Please state for the record your name, age,
residence, status and employment.
WITNESS DON JORDAN: I am Don Jordan, 49 years old, married,
pedicab driver and a resident of Brgy.
Marasbaras, Tacloban City.
COURT INTERPRETER: The witness Your Honor is Don Jordan, 49 years
old, married, pedicab driver and a resident of
Brgy. Marasbaras, Tacloban City.
COURT: Your witness, Pros. X
DEFENSE: Before the prosecutor starts conducting his direct
examination, may we know if there is/are other witness/es
inside the courtroom your Honor and move for their
exclusion.
1st PROSECUTOR: We have no other witness inside the courtroom.
COURT: All right, you may now proceed.
1st PROSECUTOR: Thank you, Your Honor! Your Honor please, may I be
allowed to utilize the Judicial Affidavit of the witness
which is now attached to the record, as his direct
testimony subject to additional question.
COURT: What can you say, Atty. X
DEFENSE: N objection, Your Honor.
1st PROSECUTOR: The testimony of this witness is hereby offered to
prove the following matters of fact:
(Enumerate the purposes as listed in the JUDAF)
COURT: Any comments/objections, defense counsel.
DEFENSE: None, Your Honor. Subject to cross-examination.
1st PROSECUTOR: May I now proceed, Your Honor!
COURT: (To the Prosecutor) – Proceed
1st PROSECUTOR: Thank you, Your Honor!
1st PROSECUTOR: Your Honor, the purposes of the testimony of this
witness is hereby offered to prove the following
matters of fact: (Enumerate the purposes as listed in
the JUDAF)
COURT: Any comment, Atty. X
DEFENSE: None your honor, subject to cross.
1st PROSECUTOR: (Start of the direct-examination)
Q: Mr. Don, good morning.
A: Good morning.
(Court interpreter should interpret the question and answer)
Q: In relation with this case, do you recall having executed a
judicial affidavit?
A: Yes, Sir
Q: If that Judicial Affidavit is shown to you, would you be able to
identify the same?
A: Yes, Sir.
Q: I am showing you a Judicial Affidavit of one Don Jordan, please
examine the same and tell this Honorable Cour what relation does
it have to the judicial affidavit you just mentioned.
(Prosecutor will approach the witness and show the judicial
affidavit)
COURT INTERPRETER: Your Honor, the witness is examining a Judicial
Affidavit of one Don Judan which is found on
page 50 of the record.
A: This is the one, Sir.
Q: This affidavit consists of 2 pages and on the second page, there
is a signature appearing above the printed name Don Judan,
whose signature is that?
A: That is my signature.
Q: There is also a signature appearing above the printed name,
Pros. A whose signature is that?
A: That is the signature of Pros. A before whom I subscribed this
judicial affidavit at the Tacloban City Prosecutor’s Office.
Q: Did you understand the contents of your judicial affidavit?
A: Yes, Sir because they were translated and explained to me by
Atty. Dacer and Pros. A.
Q: Do you confirm and affirm the truthfulness and veracity of all
your declarations in your judicial affidavit?
A: Yes, Sir.
1st PROSECUTOR: That is all, Your Honor. I now tender the witness to
the defense for cross-examination.
COURT: Cross?
DEFENSE: Yes, Your Honor please.
COURT: Proceed.
DEFENSE: Thank you, Your Honor! Good morning, Mr. Jordan!
WITNESS: Good morning.
(Defense will now start the cross-examination. After the last
question is asked, the defense will manifest …)
DEFENSE: That will be all, your Honor! Thank you!
COURT: Pros. X, do you have re-direct examination?
1st PROSECUTOR: None, Your Honor! Ah… Your Honor please, our next
witnesses would be the police blotter custodian, the
doctor who attended to the victim and conducted who
conducted the autopsy and issued the Certificate of
Death and Autopsy Report. They are not eyewitnesses to
the incident, Your Honor. With that, may we propose for
stipulation from the defense the following:
COURT: All right, you formalize your proposal and let us hear from the
defense what would be its comment thereon.
2ND PROSECUTOR: Your Honor, the prosecution respectfully requests for
stipulation from the defense, the following:
1. The existence, due execution and authenticity of the police
blotter marked as Exhibit _
COURT: Any comment, defense?
DEFENSE: Stipulated, Your Honor with the counter-proposal for
stipulation from the prosecution that the police who made
the said entries has no personal knowledge about the
incident subject of this case.
2nd PROSECUTOR: Stipulated, Your Honor.
2. The existence, due execution and authenticity of the Death
Certificate issued by Dr. A marked as Exhibit __.
COURT: Any comment, defense?
DEFENSE: Stipulated, Your Honor with the counter-proposal for
stipulation from the prosecution that the doctor who issued
the said Death Certificate has no personal knowledge about
the incident subject of this case.
2nd PROSECUTOR: Stipulated, Your Honor.
3. The existence, due execution and authenticity of the Death
Certificate issued by Dr. A marked as Exhibit __.
COURT: Any comment, defense?
DEFENSE: Stipulated, Your Honor with the counter-proposal for
stipulation from the prosecution that the doctor who issued
the said Autopsy Report has no personal knowledge about
the incident subject of this case
COURT: With the stipulations entered into by the prosecution and the
defense, the presentation of the police blotter custodian and
the attending physician who attended the victim and conducted
the autopsy and issued the Certificate of Death and Autopsy
Report are hereby dispensed with.
1st PROSECUTOR: Your Honor please, since we have no more witness to
present considering the stipulation entered into by
this representation and the defense, Pros. Z will now
formally offer orally, the prosecution’s documentary
and object evidence.
COURT: Proceed.
3rd PROS. Thank you, Your Honor.
Exhibit “A” which is found on page 10 of the record is hereby
offered to prove----
COURT: Comment?
DEFENSE: ---
And so on and so forth up to the last exhibit
COURT: (After the last exhibit) With the rulings on the prosecution’s oral
formal offer of exhibit, the prosecution is now declared to have
rested its case as of today.
