Prosecutors oppose new rule on judicial affidavits

MANILA, Philippines - The Prosecutors’ League of the Philippines (PLP) opposed the new rule of the Supreme Court (SC) requiring the submission of judicial affidavits instead of the direct testimony of witnesses in criminal cases to speed up the resolution of cases.

In a seven-page letter signed by Region X regional prosecutor and PLP president Jaime Umpa addressed to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the justices of the court, the group sought a deferment of implementation of SC’s Administrative Matter No. 12-8-8-SC or the Judicial Affidavit Rule.

The new rule, which was approved by the SC justices unanimously last September, provides that “when a party (whether plaintiff or defendant) questions his own witness, he no longer needs to place the witness on the witness stand.”

As a substitute, the party or his lawyer merely submits the written sworn statement of his witness in a question-and-answer format.

It also requires each party to the case to attach all his documentary evidence to the judicial affidavit, which in turn must be submitted at least five days before the pre-trial or preliminary conference in the case.