Republic of the Philippines

REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

Seventh (7th) Judicial Region
BRANCH 17
Cebu City

In re: Petition for Adoption of a

Minor

GRACE DELA CRUZ,

Petitioner,

SP. PROC. NO. R-CEB-

16-02711-SP

Republic of the Philippines)

City of Cebu…………………….)S.s.

JU DI C IA L A FF ID A V IT

I, GRACE DELA CRUZ, Filipino, 32 years old, married, and a

resident of 74-B R. Duterte St., Banawa, Cebu City, Philippines, after
having been duly sworn to in accordance with law, hereby depose and
say:

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

The person examining me is Atty. Georlan Ibisate, with office

address at Ibisate, Gueco, Acbay, Perez, Beringuel, Riel, Ho, & Fajardo Law
Offices, located at Suite 210, 2nd Floor, The Walk, Cebu I.T. Park, Lahug,
Cebu City. The examination is being held at the same address.

Page | 1
 I am answering his questions fully conscious that I do so under
oath and may face criminal liability for false testimony and perjury.

Questions and Answers

(By Way of Direct Examination)

(Atty. Georlan Ibisate:)

Q1: Good morning, Mrs. Dela Cruz!
(Grace Dela Cruz:)
A1: Good morning, Attorney!

Q2: Are you the same Grace Dela Cruz, one of the petitioners in this
case?
A2: Yes, Atty., I am.

Q3: Are you the wife of Thomas Dela Cruz, the other petitioner in the
case?
A3: Yes, Atty., I am.

Q4: I have attached a copy of your marriage certificate as Annex “A” of

the Petition. Is this information true and correct?
A4: Yes, Atty., Everything is true and correct.

Q5: Why are you filing this case?

A5: I am filing this case because I want to legally adopt a
minor child named Charles Santos.

Q4: How did you come to know of the minor child?

A4: A f t e r I a t t e n d e d m a s s o n S e p t e m b e r 2 0 ,
2 0 1 7 , I found the child near the entrance of Basilica Minore
del Santo Nino de Cebu. The child was crying due to the cold
and hunger. I brought the child to Lots of Love Foundation
immediately.

Q5: I am showing you a copy of the child’s Certificate of Foundling,

which I have attached as Annex “B” in the Petition. Are all the details,
to your recollection, correct?

A5: Yes, Atty.

Q6: Why do you want to legally adopt this particular minor child?

A6: I felt attached to Charles from the moment I found him

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 at the church, and got even more attached because my
husband and I, even before Charles arrived at the shelter,
visit Lots of Love Foundation every Sunday after attending
Holy Mass. We spend time with the children and help the
staff out. The connection that I felt became stronger the
more time I spent with him. My husband also feels the same
way.

We have been trying to conceive for years now but to no

avail. When I saw Charles I immediately thought that our
prayers have been answered and he was God’s gift to us.

Q7: What documents can you present to show that you are fit to be the
legal mother of Charles, the minor child?

A7: As to our good moral character, I can present 3

character references from non-relative members of the
community. One is from a priest from the Basilica of Santo
Nino, another is from the associate director of Lots of Love
Foundation, and the last one is from our neighbor.

As to our financial capacities, I can present my husband and

I’s joint Income Tax Return for 2019. I am a physician by
profession and I am currently employed as a professor at
the Cebu Institute of Medicine, and at Chong Hua Hospital as
a medical director. I can present my PRC ID, and certificates
of employment from CIM and Chong Hua.

An affidavit of consent to adoption has also been issued by

the Regional Director of the DSWD Field Office VII. The
affidavit evidences the consent voluntarily given by the
Regional Director to us to adopt Charles.

Counsel: The 3 character references from non-relative

members of the community have been attached as Annex
“M”. A copy of the Pre-Adoption Placement Authority
(PAPA), 2019 joint income tax return of the spouses, PRC
ID of Grace Dela Cruz, Certificate of Employment from
CIM, and Certificate of Employment from Chong Hua have
been attached as Annex “D”, “F”, “G”, “H”, and “I” in the
petition, respectively.

Q8: Is the minor child living with you?

A8: Yes, he is.

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Q9: Since when?

A9: Since the 26th of April of this year. A day after the
Department of Social Welfare and Development approved
the placement of Charles with us.

Counsel: A certified true copy of the Pre-Adoption

Placement Authority (PAPA) has been attached to the
petition as Annex “D”.

Q10: How is the child coping now that he is living with you?

A10: He is happy and healthy. He’s very comfortable with us

since we always visit him when he was still in the care of
Lots of Love Foundation. We always tried to spend time
with him when we were free from work.

Now that he’s with us, May Carleton, the social worker,
checks on Charles often. She also said that Charles is doing
extremely well.

Q11: In filing this Petition, what are you asking from the Court?
A11: I pray that this Honorable Court
grant our petition to adopt Charles Santos, the minor
child.

Q12: Is there anything else that you would like to say?

A12: None, for now, Atty.

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 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have affixed my signature this
13th day of May, 2020, at Cebu City, Philippines.

GRACE DELA CRUZ

Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me on the 13th day of May,

2020, at Cebu City, Philippines; Affiant exhibited to me her TIN 313-
868-975-000.

GEORLAN
IBISATE
NOTARIAL COMMISSION
NO.074-10
NOTARY PUBLIC FOR AND IN THE CITY
OF CEBU UNTIL DECEMBER 2017
IBISATE , GUE CO, ACBAY, PERE Z, BE RIN GUE L, RIE L,
HO, & FAJARDO L AW O FFI C ES
SUITE 210, 2ND FLOOR, THE WALK, CEBU I.T. PARK, LAHUG, CEBU
CITY MCLE COMPLIANCE NO. V-0006510; 02.27.14; PASIG CITY
PTR NO. 6666362; 01.12.16; CEBU
Doc. No. _______; CITY IBP NO. 1002882; 12.08.15;
CEBU ROLL OF ATTORNEYS’ NO.
Page No. ______; 57421
Book No. ______; TIN
233.452.074.000
Series of 2020.
 ATTESTATION

I faithfully recorded the questions I asked GRACE DELA CRUZ

and the corresponding answers she gave me; neither I nor any other
person then present coached the said GRACE DELA CRUZ
regarding her answers.

ATTY. GEORLAN IBISATE

Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me, a Notary Public for and

in the Province/City of Cebu, on the 13th day of May, 2020, at Cebu
City, by the said Atty. Georlan Ibisate, who is the same person who
personally signed before me the foregoing Attestation and
acknowledged that she executed the same and exhibited to me his IBP
Membership Card with Attorneys’ Roll No. 57421 issued by the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

JANDI YANG
NOTARIAL COMMISSION NO.
072-10
NOTARY PUBLIC FOR AND IN THE CITY
OF CEBU
UNTIL DECEMBER
2017
IBISATE GUE CO ACBAY PE RE Z BE RINGUE L RIE L HO &
FAJARD O L AW O FFI C ES
SUITE 210, 2ND FLOOR, THE WALK, CEBU I.T. PARK, LAHUG, CEBU
CITY MCLE COMPLIANCE NO. V-0006459; 02.27.14; PASIG CITY
PTR NO. 6666359; 01.12.21; CEBU
CITY IBP NO. 1002876; 12.07.16;
CEBU ROLL OF ATTORNEYS’ NO.
57425
TIN
244.203.101.000
Doc. No. _______;
Page No. ______;
Book No. ______;
Series of 2020.