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When an object is relevant to the fact in issue, it may be exhibited to, examined or viewed by the court. For instance:
Violation of Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009. Objective illustration is the possible criminal case to be filed against person/s who copy or reproduce, or to cause to be copied or reproduced, the photo or video or recording of sexual act of singer Chito Miranda and the lady-Neri Naig. This video is one of the examples of object evidence;
Violation of Rep. Act No. 9262. Objective example is the criminal case of actress Katrina Halili against Dr. Hayden Kho. The video tape of their sexual relationship may be submitted to and viewed by the court. The video is object evidence.
Case of stabbing. A knife or a bolo may be exhibited to, examined and viewed by the court.
Case of illegal possession of drugs. Drugs must be presented before the court together with the forensic findings whether drugs are regulated or prohibited.
Entries in the police blotter should not be given undue significance or probative value, as they do not constitute conclusive proof of the truth thereof (People vs. Rendoque, 322 SCRA 622).
Under the rule on object (real) evidence is the documentary evidence. Documents as evidence consist of writings, recordings, photographs or any material containing letters, words, sounds, numbers, figures, symbols, or their equivalent, or other modes of written expression offered as proof of their contents. Photographs include still pictures, drawings, stored images, x-ray films, motion pictures or videos.
Document is tangible because perceptible by touch and can be seen. Document[ation] however if done via filming or videoing it can be seen also and the film or video can be touched but have no probative value for touching it. But the existence of the film or the video of course has the evidentiary weight if the film or video will prove a fact in issue. Documentation is sometimes synonymous with “recording”. Sometimes the process of documentation is being done not by the execution of a document but by recording the events via camera (with film or without film), for instance the cellphone camera or digital camera. This recording is intangible particularly if the sounds only were recorded. The sounds cannot be touched. But the sounds of course will have also a probative value if will prove a fact in issue.
The Rule does not state that the writings, words, letters, numbers, figures, or other written modes of expression must be written on papers. Hence, even the “lapida” or the “baston” containing written expression can be considered as documentary evidence.