Flashcards Studio

In a civil action for damages arising from a building fire, plaintiff P offers the testimony of L, a 33-year-old security guard who is deaf and communicates in Filipino Sign Language. L personally observed the defendant's maintenance supervisor directing workers to bypass a heat shield and to work near exposed wiring, which started the fire. The defense objects that L is not competent to testify because he cannot hear and cannot take an oath in the standard form. The court must decide (a) whether L is a competent witness and why, (b) if competent, how the defense may attack L's credibility, and (c) if L's testimony is the only direct evidence against D, what additional proofs or considerations are needed to sustain a verdict.