Here’s a practitioner-grade explainer—Philippine context—on Evidence Presentation Modes in Court: what counts as evidence, the recognized modes of presenting it, the order of trial, how to lay foundations, how to make (and preserve) objections, and practical templates/checklists. No web sources used.

1) Big picture: what “presentation of evidence” means

Evidence is any means, sanctioned by the Rules of Court and special rules, by which the court is persuaded of the truth of a fact in issue.
Modes of presentation are the procedural ways the proof gets before the judge: live testimony (including remote), judicial affidavits, depositions, documentary offers, object/real evidence, demonstrative aids, stipulations, judicial notice, and electronic evidence.
Burden & quantum frame your presentation:
- Civil: preponderance of evidence (or clear and convincing for certain issues).
- Criminal: proof beyond reasonable doubt; prosecution goes first, then defense.
Relevance + competence + authentication + best evidence are your four gates. If any fails, the court should exclude or give little weight.

2) Order of trial and where presentation fits

Typical flow (court may modify for efficiency/continuous trial):

Arraignment/pre-trial; marking of exhibits, stipulations, admissions, issues defined.
Plaintiff/prosecution evidence, then defense evidence.
Rebuttal and sur-rebuttal (if allowed).
Offer of evidence (formal offer in writing or orally on the record) and rulings.
Memorials/oral arguments; submission for decision.

Practical rule: What is not formally offered is generally not considered, even if marked and identified—subject to narrow exceptions (e.g., evidence on record but inadvertently not formally offered and the other party had opportunity to examine).

3) Testimonial evidence: four ways to get it in

A) Live oral testimony in open court

Direct → cross → re-direct → re-cross (within scope).
One-day examination/continuous trial policies may require you to complete your witness in one setting—prepare tightly.
Foundations you must lay before the “meat”:
- Witness competence (identity, capacity, oath).
- Personal knowledge (“I saw/heard/did…”).
- If expert: qualifications + reliable basis + methodology.
Common objections: leading (on direct), hearsay, lack of foundation, irrelevant, argumentative, asked-and-answered, speculation, opinion of lay witness, improper impeachment.

B) Remote testimony (video-conferencing)

Courts may allow remote examination for good cause (distance, security, health, efficiency). Treat it as live testimony: administer oath, verify identity, ensure no coaching (camera framing; separate room; no earpieces); mark exhibits electronically and pre-exchange soft copies.

C) Judicial Affidavit Rule (JAR)

Direct testimony is submitted as a judicial affidavit; the hearing is used mainly for cross-examination and clarifications.
Format: (1) questions & answers, (2) identity and competence, (3) personal knowledge basis, (4) exhibits referenced and attached, (5) jurat. Counsel must attach the list of Qs used to elicit the answers (or certify compliance).
Presentation: Identify the witness, confirm contents under oath, adopt affidavit as direct; proceed to cross. If a matter is not in the JA, it’s typically outside the direct’s scope.

D) Depositions (Rule on Depositions & Discovery)

Use at trial when: witness is dead, out of the country, unable to testify, or as permitted by the court (e.g., adverse party statements). Modes:
- Oral deposition (transcribed testimony).
- Deposition upon written interrogatories.
Foundations: notice, opportunity to cross, officer’s certification, transcript integrity.

4) Documentary evidence: original, secondary, and how to authenticate

A) Authentication

Public documents (e.g., notarized, public records) are generally self-authenticating; prove due execution by showing official character, not the signer’s personal appearance.
Private documents require proof of due execution and authenticity (subscribing witness, handwriting comparison, admission, chain of custody, or other authenticating testimony).

B) Original document (best evidence) rule

To prove the contents of a writing/recording/photograph, the original is required; secondary evidence is allowed only after laying loss/unavailability foundations (not due to bad faith) and showing a genuine copy or faithful recital.
If you are merely proving the existence or independent fact (e.g., “a contract was signed,” not its specific wording), the rule may not apply.

C) How to present

Pre-mark exhibits at pre-trial (P-1, D-1, etc.).
On direct (or JA), have the witness identify the document, explain relevance, and authenticate it.
When ready, make a formal offer: “Your Honor, we offer Exhibit ‘P-3’ for the purpose of proving __________.”
Handle objections (hearsay, irrelevance, best evidence, parol evidence rule, privilege).

5) Object/real evidence and demonstrative aids

A) Object or real evidence

Tangible items directly inspected by the court (weapons, tools, clothing, seized items).
Foundation: relevance + identity + chain of custody (who had it, where stored, unbroken links). For substances or fragile items, detail seals, labels, signatures, dates.

B) Demonstrative evidence

Illustrations, charts, timelines, maps, simulations created to aid understanding of testimonial or documentary proof.
Admissibility hinges on accuracy and helpfulness; your sponsoring witness must say it fairly represents what it purports to depict.
Weight is persuasive, not substantive, unless tied to independently admissible facts.

6) Electronic and digital evidence (Rules on Electronic Evidence)

A) What qualifies

Emails, chat logs, SMS, call records, metadata, computer print-outs, spreadsheets, logs, digital photos, videos, audio, website captures, app data, blockchain records, device extractions.

B) Core principles

Functional equivalence: electronic documents are the legal equivalent of paper if integrity and authenticity are shown.
Admissibility: an electronic document is not denied admissibility solely for being electronic.
Hearsay still applies; use exceptions or show statements are party admissions, independently relevant, or machine outputs.

C) Foundations & authentication

System integrity: how the data was created, captured, stored; reliability of hardware/software; access controls.
Hashing/metadata: where available, present hash values, time stamps, headers (for emails), message IDs, export certifications.
Provenance: who took the screenshot/extract; method (e.g., forensic tool); chain of custody from device to print-out.
Electronic signatures: show method of signature creation, identity of signer, and link to the document.

D) Presenting e-evidence

Pre-exchange native files (e.g., .eml, .xlsx, .mp4) with hash values.
Use screen share or in-court playback; have a witness explain what the jury—er, judge—sees, how they know it is what it is, and why it matters.

7) Admissions, stipulations, and judicial notice

A) Admissions

Judicial admissions (in pleadings, during pre-trial, or in open court) bind the party—no need to present further proof on admitted facts.
Extrajudicial admissions by a party or authorized representative are non-hearsay when offered against them.

B) Stipulations

Narrow issues at pre-trial: identity of parties, execution of documents, authenticity of records, chain elements. Reduces what you must present.

C) Judicial notice

Court may notice matters of public knowledge, capable of unquestionable demonstration, or ought to be known to judges by reason of official functions. Consider asking the court to take notice to save time (e.g., official exchange rates, undisputed public holidays).

8) Hearsay rule and its (practical) exceptions

General rule: A statement made out of court offered to prove the truth of what it asserts is hearsay.
Common exceptions you’ll actually present:
- Entries in official records made in the performance of duty.
- Business records and electronically stored information kept in regular course.
- Statements against interest, dying declarations, pedigree/family reputation, common reputation, res gestae (spontaneous declarations).
- Former testimony given in a previous proceeding with opportunity to cross, where the declarant is now unavailable.
Strategy: Build the hearsay exception foundation right into your JA or direct.

9) Special witness rules

A) Child witnesses

Protective measures: screens, support persons, closed-circuit testimony, simplified oath; leading questions may be allowed to some extent; courtroom layout can be modified.

B) Vulnerable or intimidated witnesses

Similar protective accommodations; consider remote testimony, voice/face distortion (with court leave), or limited disclosure orders.

C) Experts

Establish qualifications (education, training, experience, publications).
Basis: personal examination, data reasonably relied on by experts in the field, reliable tests or standards. Expect voir dire on reliability.

10) Subpoenas, compulsion, and securing the witness/document

Subpoena ad testificandum: compels a person to attend and testify.
Subpoena duces tecum: compels a person to bring specified documents/things.
Quash if unreasonable, oppressive, or irrelevant; enforce by contempt if willfully disobeyed.
For official records, use requests through the custodian; if sensitive, ask for in camera review.

11) Formal offer of evidence and rulings

A) Timing & form

After you rest (or as directed), submit a Formal Offer of Evidence itemizing each exhibit (and sometimes testimony portions) with specific purposes.
Objections must be specific; general “we object” usually waives particular grounds.

B) Rulings

Court admits, excludes, or admits for a limited purpose. Ask the court to state grounds for clarity.
If excluded, make a tender of excluded evidence (oral or written, attach excluded exhibits or summarize expected testimony) to preserve for appeal.

12) Common foundations (checklist style)

For a private document

Identify the document.
State how you know it (signing, receiving, seeing executed).
Confirm signatures/handwriting; or present subscribing witness.
Tie to relevant fact (why does it matter?).

For a public document

Show it is a certified true copy or original issued by the proper custodian; identify the issuing office.

For photos/videos

Witness who took it or who saw the scene says it fairly and accurately depicts what it purports to show at the relevant time.

For electronic messages (email/chat)

Identify the account/number/handle, context of exchange, how you know the sender, unaltered export/screenshot, metadata or hash (if available).

For real evidence

Identify the item; explain chain of custody (who, where, when); show seals/labels; state condition unchanged (or explain changes).

For business records

Qualified witness: records are made at or near the time, by a person with knowledge, kept in the regular course of business, and it is the regular practice to make such records.

13) Objections & how to preserve them (field guide)

When: contemporaneous—as soon as the ground becomes apparent.
How: concise and specific (“Objection, hearsay; no exception laid.” “Objection, lack of foundation for business record.”).
Motion to strike improper answers.
Offer of proof for excluded evidence.
Limiting instruction when admitted for a limited purpose (“only to show effect on listener, not truth”).

14) Strategies that actually win trials

Script your foundations into your JA or direct outline; don’t “wing it.”
Triangulate: testimonial + document + electronic breadcrumb; redundancy beats cross-ex.
Use demonstratives to teach the judge (timelines, flow charts), but anchor them to admitted facts.
Pre-trial stipulations: spend time here; every stipulated fact is one less live fight.
Keep an exhibit matrix: ID, description, purpose, sponsoring witness, status (marked/offered/admitted), objections, rulings.
Always think “appeal record”: formal offers, tenders of excluded evidence, written objections.

15) Templates (copy-paste and adapt)

A) Foundational block (private contract)

Q: I show you Exhibit “P-5.” Do you recognize it? A: Yes. It’s the Sales Agreement I signed with Defendant on March 3, 2023. Q: How do you know? A: I was present when we both signed before Atty. Cruz; that is my signature and this is the copy emailed to me the same day. Q: What is its relevance? A: It contains the delivery schedule and price we dispute in this case.

B) Formal Offer of Evidence (excerpt)

Plaintiff formally offers: Exh. P-1 (Judicial Affidavit of Juan Dela Cruz) — to prove the contract’s execution, delivery, and Defendant’s non-payment. Exh. P-2 (Sales Agreement dated 3 March 2023) — to prove terms and obligations; private document duly authenticated. Exh. P-3 (Email thread 3–10 March 2023) — as party admissions and to show demand and acknowledgment; electronic document authenticated by sender/recipient and system custodian. Exh. P-4 (Spreadsheet—Statement of Account) — business record made in the regular course.

C) Tender of Excluded Evidence (offer of proof)

Plaintiff respectfully tenders Exhibit P-7 (Chat Export) for the record. If allowed, witness would testify it is an unaltered export from WhatsApp number ***1234 used by Defendant, generated on 12 June 2023, with hash SHA-256: [value], showing the 6 April 2023 admission: “We owe the balance and will pay next week.”

16) Quick checklists

Pre-trial

Exhibits pre-marked; exchange copies (paper & electronic).
Stipulate: parties’ identities; jurisdiction; document authenticity where possible.
Identify witnesses; adopt JAs; set time estimates.

On the day

Bring originals/certified copies; digital media + backups.
Remote testimony protocols tested (camera/mic, screen share).
Exhibit matrix printed; highlighters for rulings.

After resting

File formal offer within court’s deadline.
Respond to objections; request clarificatory questions if needed.
Preserve excluded items via tender of proof.

Bottom line

Philippine courts accept multiple presentation modes—live, remote, affidavit-based, deposition, documentary (including electronic), object, and demonstrative—so long as you clear the four gates: relevance, competence, authentication, best-evidence.
Pre-trial discipline (marking, stipulations, JAs) and clean foundations are what turn proof into admissible proof.
Always formalize with a proper offer and preserve your record with timely objections or tenders.

If you want, I can transform this into (a) a courtroom foundations script tailored to your case type (civil/criminal), and (b) a fillable formal-offer template that matches your exhibit list.