Write Your

Own Affidavit
So what is an AFFIDAVIT?

An Affidavit is a statement jotted down into a paper, signed by the person

executing the same (we call that person affiant) and sworn before a person
authorized by law to administer oaths (usually a Notary Public).  Another
term for an Affidavit is Sworn Statement and lying under oath will make you
criminally liable for perjury.

An affiant must have personal knowledge of the facts which he/she

states. The affiant cannot testify regarding things he/she just heard
(hearsay statements) and has no first-hand knowledge of, save for some
exceptions under the Revised Rules of Evidence in the Rules of Court.

Now that we are done with the definition, we proceed with the parts. 
1. The Header/Venue
Usually seen on the upper left of an Affidavit, it appears like this.

Republic of the Philippines)

Quezon City                       ) S.S.

S.S. stands for SCILICET but it's actual abbreviation is S.c. However, it has
become commonly mis-abbreviated to S.S. in most Affidavits in the
Philippines. SCILICET means "to wit; namely; particularly in". Hence the
above is understood to mean, "Republic of the Philippines
namely/particularly in Quezon City".

As you can see this part of an Affidavit also refers to the venue where the
same was executed. It also indicates the jurisdiction within which the notary
public may administer oaths.
2. The Title

The common title of an Affidavit is Affidavit (Sinumpaang Salaysay) or if

there are two or more affiants, Joint Affidavit (Sama-samang Sinumpaang
Salaysay). However, there are some Affidavits which have been
designated with a name such as Affidavit of Loss, Affidavit of Quitclaim and
Affidavit of Identity.

The title indicates what kind of legal form it is; it is aligned at the center of
the document.

Affidavit of Loss
3. The Body

The body is the majority of the affidavit. It can still be divided into two sub-
parts.

A. Opening Statement of Personal Circumstances

An Opening Statement where the affiant states his name, nationality, civil
status, of legal age or not, his residential address and that he has been
sworn to in accordance with law. 

I, FRANCISCO A. BERGOLIO, Filipino, single,

of legal age and currently residing at No. 7, Taft
Avenue, Manila Philippines, after having sworn
to in accordance with law, hereby depose and
state that:
B. The Statement of Facts
Here you simply narrate the facts. You divide them by paragraphs and
arrange the paragraphs with numbers or letters. The important thing here is
that you narrate facts and not conclusions and that you do it with personal
knowledge and in the most accurate way possible.

1. I am a Filipino-Italian citizen working in the

depressed areas of Payatas since 2008;

2. On 08 March 2021, I was assisting in the daily

mass, when armed men from the 5th Infantry
Brigade of the Philippine Army barged into the
chapel;

3. The following day, 09 March 2021, while we

were having a Parish Pastoral Council Meeting,
random shots were heard outside;

The last paragraph can state the purpose of the affidavit but can also vary.

I attest to the truth of the foregoing facts and for

whatever legal purpose this Affidavit may serve.

I attest to the truth of the foregoing and for the

purpose of filing a criminal case for grave
coercion against Sgt. Henrietta Euqor of the
Philippine Army.
4. Signature of the Affiant
This is placed after the body and where the affiant signs his name. It can
appear like this.

The official signature of the affiant must be placed over his name. If the
affiant is illiterate, a thumbmark will suffice

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand

this 11th day of March 2021 in Quezon City,
Philippines.

(Signed)
FRANCISCO A. BERGOLIO
Affiant
5. Jurat
The last part of an Affidavit is a jurat. It is the part of the Affidavit wherein
the notarial officer indicates that the affiant has subscribed and sworn to in
his presence and that the latter has shown a proof of his/her identity to the
former. Furthermore, this part is where the notarial officer affixes his seal
and signature, notarial information and the record details of the Affidavit.

A Competent Evidence of Identity or its photocopy must be shown to the

Notary Public. The 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice lists what are
“competent evidence of identity” or the identification of an individual based
on at least one current identification document issued by an official agency
bearing the photograph and signature of the individual (SSS ID, GSIS ID,
Driver’s License, Passport, TIN ID, PhilHealth ID, Pag-ibig ID. A
Community Tax Certificate (CTC) or cedula is no longer acceptable.
 SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this
13th of December 2015, affiant exhibiting his
Competent Evidence of Identity - Driver's
License No. N0-21-18734 valid until 15 April 2028
and issued in Makati City, Philippines.

JUAN PAULO BENEDICTO

Notary Public
5/F Ruby Tower, Diliman, Quezon City
SC Roll No. 98763
IBP No. 30896/04-01-2021/Tawi-Tawi
PTR No. 487563/01-23-2021/Quezon City
NP No. 630/2021-2022
Notary Public – Quezon City
Until 31 December 2022

Doc. No. 79;

Page No. 34;
Book No. XV;
Series of 2021
(Notarial seal embossed for the above)