Hearsay, and the doors back in
“Sabi ng kapitbahay ko… tanggap ba 'yon sa korte?”
Hearsay is not any secondhand story; it is an out-of-court statement offered for its truth. Get the definition right and half the objections disappear. Get the exceptions right and the other half do.
Study material, not legal advice. Written and checked by the PhilippineLaws team to the best of our knowledge; not reviewed by a lawyer. Check every provision and case against its full text before you rely on it or cite it.
Read the strip. The last panel does not answer — you do, before the rule shows up.
A dark alley in Tondo. Ramon staggers out, clutching his side, blood between his fingers. Liza, a sari-sari store owner, runs to him.
RAMON“Liza! Si Jun… si Jun ang sumaksak sa akin!”
Seconds after the stabbing, under the shock of it.
Weeks later. Ramon has recovered and has left for work abroad. Liza sits in the witness stand.
LIZA“Sabi po ni Ramon, si Jun daw ang sumaksak.”
Ramon is not in court. Liza is repeating what he said.
Defense counsel on his feet, hand raised.
DEFENSE“Objection, Your Honor! Hearsay! Hindi naman siya ang sinaksak!”
Correct label. The question is whether a door is open.
The judge looking at the reader, gavel held mid-air.
CAPTIONHindi namatay si Ramon. Tanggap pa ba ang sinabi niya?
Vote before the rule.