Republic of the Philippines Regional
Trial Court Branch 23
Baguio City
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES
Plaintiff,
- versus 12345
CRIMINAL CASE No.
for: MURDER
JOHN DOE
Accused,
x
x
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF THE EXPERT WITNESS
(For the Defense)
Examining counsel: ATTY. JUAN DELA CRUZ with office address at Rm.
123, Laperal Building, Diego Silang St, Baguio City.
Place of Examination: Rm. 123, Laperal Building, Diego Silang St, Baguio
City.
I, Dr. Maria Perez, of legal age, married, Filipino citizen and with business
address at PNP Regional Crime Laboratory Office, Camp Dangwa, La Trinidad,
Benguet, after having been duly sworn to in accordance with law, hereby depose
and say in answer to the direct examinations of Atty. Juan Dela Cruz.
BACKGROUND OF THE CASE
Nicanor Santos y Rivera, 23 year old, male, single, residing at Atok Trail
Barangay, Baguio City, Benguet was stabbed several times by still unidentified
suspect/s and was declared dead on arrival at the Baguio General Hospital and
Medical Center(BGHMC). The crime was committed around 10:30 in the evening
of 9 August 1998 along Atok Trail, Baguio City.
EXPERT WITNESS: MARIA PEREZ, MD FACTS
TO BE ESTABLISHED:
1. The fact of death of NICANOR SANTOS y RIVERA.
2. The cause of death hemorrhage as a result of the stab wounds on the
body.
DIRECT EXAMINATION OF THE EXPERT WITNESS
ATTY: (Formal offer of Testimonial Evidence): Your Honor, I would like to offer
the testimony of Dr. Maria Perez, the medico- legal officer who examined the
body of the victim, Nicanor Santos y Rivera. He will testify as to the fact of death
of the victim, and that he will testify that the victim died by hemorrhage as a result
of the stab wounds on the body.
PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS
Q: Please state your name and profession for the benefit of the court.
A: My name is Maria Perez, a medical and forensic doctor.
Q: Kindly state your educational background leading to your profession as of this
date.
A: I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology Degree from the University of the
Philippines Baguio in the year 1980. Thereafter, I went to medical school in the
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, graduated in 1984 and passed the medical
board examinations in 1986. I further continued my studies and obtained a
Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice with specialization in Forensic Medicine from
the University of the Cordilleras in 1990.
Q: What is your current profession?
A: I am the current medico-legal officer of the PNP’s Regional Crime Laboratory
Office at Camp Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Q: How long have you been practicing your profession as a medical doctor?
A: For 20 years now starting the year I passed the medical board examinations.
Q: How long have you been practicing your profession as a medico-legal officer in
the PNP’s Regional Crime laboratory?
A: For 15 years now starting 1991.
Q: What do you do as a medico-legal officer in the Crime Laboratory?
A: I conduct external and internal physical examinations of individuals and I also
conduct autopsies on cadavers presented in the Crime Laboratory.
Q: Can you recall how many cadavers you have examined so far? A: More or less
around 500 cadavers now.
Q: Is this your first time to testify in court? A: No, this is
not my first time.
Q: To the best of your knowledge how many times have you testified as an
expert witness?
A: I have made 101 testimonies as an expert witness as of this date.
Q: Having been stated these information about your years of experience as a
medical doctor and medico-legal officer, can you say with absolute certainty that
you are qualified to testify as an expert witness to attest the cause of the death of
Nicanor Santos y Rivera?
A: Yes, I am.
DIRECT EXAMINATION PROPER
Q: Were you tasked to perform the autopsy on the body of the victim Nicanor
Santos y Rivera?
A: Yes, as the medico-legal officer, I was tasked to examine the cadaver of
Nicanor Santos y Rivera.
Q: Where did you examine the cadaver of
Rivera?
Nicanor Santos y
A: I examined the victim’s body at the morgue of La Funenaria Paz located at
No.79 Naguilian Road, Baguio City.
Q: When did you examine the body? Kindly recall the exact date and time of the
examination.
A: I started to examine the body at 1330H of 10 Aug 1998 and completed the
examination at 1100H of 11 Aug 1998.
Q: Was that the first time for you to see the body of Nicanor Santos y Rivera?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you describe the body upon seeing it?
A: There were several stab wounds, there were no deformities, no amputations, no
old surgical scars or venipuncture sites noted.
Q: Can you please discuss the examination you conducted on the body.
A: I conducted
a post-mortem
determine the cause of death.
examination
of the
body
to
Q: What were your findings? A: My
findings are as follows:
-The body is that of a fairly developed, fairly nourished Filipino male
measuring 160cms.
-There is post-mortem lividity at the dependent portions of the body.
Conjunctivae, lips and nailbeds are pale.
-There is a stab wound, left ifra-mammary region, measuring 4.5xl.5cm,
from the anterior midline, 11cms deep, directed posteriorwards, slightly
downwards and medialwards, fracturing the left 6th thoracic vertebra, lacerating the
left dome of the diaphragm and left lobe of the liver, with 4 stitches applied.
-There is a stab wound, left infra-mammary region, measuring 3.5x1.2cm,
from the anterior midline, 11cms deep, directed posteriorwards, slightly upwards
and medialwards passing thru the 6th left lung pericardial sac and the apex of the
heart, with 2 stitches applied.
- There is a stab wound, left shoulder, measuring 6.5x6cm, 13cms from the
anterior midline, with 10 stitches applied.
-There is a stab wound, middle 3rd of the left thigh, measuring 4.5x2cm,
3cm from the anterior midline, 8cm deep,
directed posteriorwards, upwards, lacerating the underlying soft tissues and
muscles.
-There is linear abration, left lateral aspect of the neck, measuring 1x0.4cm,
4cm from the anterior midline.
-There is a linear abrasion, anterior aspect of the neck, measuring
0.5x0.2cm, 3cm from the anterior midlin.
- There are about 2,000cc of blood and blood clots accumulated in the
thoracic cavity.
-The stomach is full of partially digested food particles, consisting mostly of
rice and meat. And the rest of the visceral organs are grossly unremarkable.
Q: Can you describe in detail by layman’s terms the condition and injury of the
victim.
A: Lividity or livor mortis is the settling of blood in the most dependent portion of
the body under the influence of gravity, causing a purplish, dark red discoloration.
A stab wound is a specific form of penetrating trauma to the skin that results from
a knife or a similar pointed object that is "deeper than it is wide." Abrasion is a
wound caused by superficial damage to the skin, no deeper than the epidermis, it is
less severe than a laceration, and bleeding if present, is minimal. Blood clot is a
gelatinous or semisolid mass of coagulated blood.
Q: Based on your findings, what in your best knowledge is the cause of death of
the victim?
A: The victim died of hemorrhage as a result of the stab wounds on the body.
Q: Can you explain in layman’s terms the cause of death of the victim.
A: Hemorrhage is the escape of blood from a ruptured blood vessel, especially
when profuse. Death by stab wounds are typically due to hemorrhage.
Q: Based on your findings, the victim died due to multiple stab wounds which
caused the hemorrhage?
A: Yes, definitely.
Q: Aside from the stab wounds, are there any other external or internal findings
that may have caused injury or death to the victim?
A: There are no other injuries aside from the stab wounds.
Q: Did you affirm that you prepared, issued, and signed this medico-legal
certificate?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you confirm that the contents of this is true and correct and are you willing
to sign this as your conformity to all that has been stated in this document?
A: Yes.
- No Further Questions -
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of
August 1998 in Baguio City.
Maria Perez, MD (Affiant)
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 10th of May 2008 at
Baguio City by the affiant who personally appeared before me and presented to me
her Driver’s License, which sufficiently establishes his identity and who attested
the truth of the foregoing.
Doc no
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Page no
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City/01-01-98
Book No
Series of 1998
John Tores
Notary Public
Until December 31 1998
PTR No 12897/ Baguio
Roll no 98765555
ATTESTATION
I, ATTY. JUAN DELA CRUZ, hereby state that I have faithfully recorded or
caused to be recorded the questions I asked and the corresponding answers given
by Dr. Maria Perez and that neither I nor other person then present or assisting me
coached Dr. Maria Perez her answers.
Atty. Juan dela Cruz
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 12th of August 1998 at Baguio
City by the affiant who personally appeared before me and presented to me his
Driver’s License, which sufficiently establishes his identity and who attested the
truth of the foregoing.
Doc no
;
Page no
;
City/01-01-98
Book No
Series of 1998
John Tores
Notary Public
Until December 31 1998
PTR No 12897/ Baguio
Roll no 98765555
The original copy of this judicial affidavit is filed with the Honorable Court and
duplicate copies thereof are furnished by personal service to:
Office of the City Prosecutor
Justice Hall, Baguio City