Practice question
A competent eyewitness identifies a stranger as the offender after seeing him briefly at a long distance in poor lighting. The account is admitted, but other reliable evidence exposes serious uncertainty in the identification. The prosecution says legal competence alone proves identity beyond reasonable doubt. Which is sound?
- Competence conclusively establishes every identification
- An eyewitness label eliminates every possibility of mistake
- The accused must prove a different offender
- The court must separately assess identification credibility and whether the complete record proves identity beyond reasonable doubt
- A witness who can perceive anything must be believed about everything
Legal references
- https://lawphil.net/courts/rules/pdf/am_19-08-15-sc_2019.pdf — A.M. No. 19-08-15-SC, current Rules 128 §3, 130 §§21–22, 131 §1, 133 §§1–2,4–6.
- https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2013/dec2013/gr_182356_2013.html — Dela Llana v. Biong, G.R. No. 182356, December 4, 2013, MAIN decision (evidentiary facts, ultimate fact, and admissibility versus weight).
- https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2025/apr2025/gr_265570_2025.html — People v. Akil, G.R. No. 265570, April 7, 2025, MAIN decision (police-initiated private questioning of a detainee and custodial confession).
- https://lawphil.net/consti/cons1987.html — 1987 Constitution, Article III §§2–3,12,14 (exclusionary protections and due process).
Answer this question in flashcards to review your response and continue practicing.