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JURISDICTION OF VARIOUS COURTS

A) Jurisdiction of MeTC, MTC and MCTC in Civil Cases
under B. P. Blg. 129 as amended by R. A. 7691.
Section 33. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts in Civil
Cases. Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise:

(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over civil actions and

probate proceedings, testate and intestate, including the grant of
provisional remedies in proper cases, where the value of the
personal property, estate, or amount of the demand does not
exceed Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) or, in Metro
Manila where such personal property, estate, or amount of the
demand does not exceed Four hundred thousand pesos
(P400,000.00), exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind,
attorney's fees, litigation expenses, and costs, the amount of which
must be specifically alleged: Provided, That interest, damages of
whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses, and costs shall
be included in the determination of the filing fees: Provided,
further, That where there are several claims or causes of actions
between the same or different parties, embodied in the same
complaint, the amount of the demand shall be the totality of the
claims in all the causes of action, irrespective of whether the
causes of action arose out of the same or different transactions;

exceed Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) exclusive of interest,

damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses and
costs: Provided, That in cases of land not declared for taxation
purposes, the value of such property shall be determined by the
assessed value of the adjacent lots."
Section 34. Delegated Jurisdiction in Cadastral and Land
Registration Cases. Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial
Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts may be assigned by the
Supreme Court to hear and determine cadastral or land registration
cases covering lots where there is no controversy or opposition, or
contested lots where the value of which does not exceed One
hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), such value to be
ascertained by the affidavit of the claimant or by agreement of the
respective claimants if there are more than one, or from the
corresponding tax declaration of the real property. Their decisions
in these cases shall be appealable in the same manner as decisions
of the Regional Trial Courts."
Section 35. Special jurisdiction in certain cases. In the
absence of all the Regional Trial Judges in a province or city, any
Metropolitan Trial Judge, Municipal Trial Judge, Municipal Circuit Trial
Judge may hear and decide petitions for a writ of habeas corpus or
applications for bail in criminal cases in the province or city where
the absent Regional Trial Judges sit.

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(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over cases of forcible entry
and unlawful detainer: Provided, That when, in such cases, the
defendant raises the questions of ownership in his pleadings and
the question of possession cannot be resolved without deciding the
issue of ownership, the issue of ownership shall be resolved only to
determine the issue of possession; and
(3) Exclusive original jurisdiction in all civil actions which
involve title to, or possession of, real property, or any interest
therein where the assessed value of the property or interest therein
does not exceed Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or, in civil
actions in Metro Manila, where such assessed value does not

B) Jurisdiction of Regional Trial Courts in Civil Cases

under B. P. Blg. 129 as amended by R. A. 7691.
Section 19. Jurisdiction in civil cases. Regional Trial Courts
shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction:
(1) In all civil actions in which the subject of the litigation is
incapable of pecuniary estimation;
(2) In all civil actions which involve the title to, or possession
of, real property, or any interest therein, where the assessed value

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of the property involved exceeds Twenty thousand pesos
(P20,000,00) or, for civil actions in Metro Manila, where such value
exceeds Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) except actions for
forcible entry into and unlawful detainer of lands or buildings,
original jurisdiction over which is conferred upon the Metropolitan
Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial
Courts;

Section 21. Original jurisdiction in other cases. Regional

Trial Courts shall exercise original jurisdiction:

(3) In all actions in admiralty and maritime jurisdiction

where the demand or claim exceeds Three hundred thousand pesos
(P300,000.00) or, in Metro Manila, where such demand or claim
exceeds Four hundred thousand pesos (P4,000.00);

(2) In actions affecting ambassadors and other public

ministers and consuls.

(4) In all matters of probate, both testate and intestate,

where the gross value of the estate exceeds Three hundred
thousand pesos (P300,000.00) or, in probate matters in Metro
Manila, where such gross value exceeds Four Hundred thousand
pesos (P400,000.00);
(5) In all actions involving the contract of marriage and
marital relations; (See Section 5(d) of R. A. No.8369, The
Family Courts Act of 1997.)
(6) In all cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any
court, tribunal, person or body exercising jurisdiction of any court,
tribunal, person or body exercising judicial or quasi-judicial
functions;
(7) In all civil actions and special proceedings falling within
the exclusive original jurisdiction of a Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Court and of the Court of Agrarian Relations as now
provided by law; and (See Section 5 of R. A. No. 8369.
(8) In all other cases in which the demand, exclusive of
interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation
expenses, and costs or the value of the property in controversy
exceeds Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) or, in such
other cases in Metro Manila, where the demand exclusive of the
abovementioned items exceeds Four Hundred thousand pesos
(P400,000.00)."

(1) In the issuance of writs of certiorari, prohibition,

mandamus, quo warranto, habeas corpus and injunction
which may be enforced in any part of their respective
regions; and

Section 22. Appellate jurisdiction. Regional Trial Courts

shall exercise appellate jurisdiction over all cases decided by
Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts in their respective territorial jurisdictions. Such
cases shall be decided on the basis of the entire record of the
proceedings had in the court of origin and such memoranda and/or
briefs as may be submitted by the parties or required by the
Regional Trial Courts. The decision of the Regional Trial Courts in
such cases shall be appealable by petition for review to the Court of
Appeals which may give it due course only when the petition shows
prima facie that the lower court has committed an error of fact or
law that will warrant a reversal or modification of the decision or
judgment sought to be reviewed.
Section 23. Special jurisdiction to try special cases. The
Supreme Court may designate certain branches of the Regional
Trial Courts to handle exclusively criminal cases, juvenile and
domestic relations cases, agrarian cases, urban land reform cases
which do not fall under the jurisdiction of quasi-judicial bodies and
agencies, and/or such other special cases as the Supreme Court
may determine in the interest of a speedy and efficient
administration of justice.

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C) Jurisdiction of the Family Courts under R. A. No.
8369, otherwise known as The Family Courts Act of 1997.

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Section 5. Jurisdiction of Family Courts. - The Family
Courts shall have exclusive original jurisdiction to hear and decide
the following cases:
(a) Criminal cases where one or more of the accused is
below eighteen (18) years of age but not less than nine (9)
years of age or where one or more of the victims is a minor
at the time of the commission of the offense: Provided, That
if the minor is found guilty, the court shall promulgate
sentence and ascertain any civil liability which the accused
may have incurred.
The sentence, however, shall be suspended without need of
application pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 603,
otherwise known as the "Child and Youth Welfare Code;)
b) Petitions for guardianship, custody of children, habeas
corpus in relation to the latter;
c) Petitions for adoption of children and the revocation
thereof;
d) Complaints for annulment of marriage, declaration of
nullity of marriage and those relating to marital status and
property relations of husband and wife or those living
together under different status and agreements, and
petitions for dissolution of conjugal partnership of gains;
e) Petitions for support and/or acknowledgment;
f) Summary judicial proceedings brought under the
provisions of Executive Order No. 209, otherwise known as
the "Family Code of the Philippines";
g) Petitions for declaration of status of children as
abandoned, dependent o neglected children, petitions for
voluntary or involuntary commitment of children; the
suspension, termination, or restoration of parental authority
and other cases cognizable under Presidential Decree No.
603, Executive Order No. 56, (Series of 1986), and other
related laws;

h) Petitions for the constitution of the family home;

i) Cases against minors cognizable under the Dangerous
Drugs Act, as amended;
j) Violations of Republic Act No. 7610, otherwise known as
the "Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse,
Exploitation and Discrimination Act," as amended by
Republic Act No. 7658; and
k) Cases of domestic violence against:
1) Women - which are acts of gender based violence
that results, or are likely to result in physical, sexual
or psychological harm or suffering to women; and
other forms of physical abuse such as battering or
threats and coercion which violate a woman's
personhood, integrity and freedom movement; and
2) Children - which include the commission of all
forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation,
violence, and discrimination and all other conditions
prejudicial to their development.
If an act constitutes a criminal offense, the accused or
batterer shall be subject to criminal proceedings and the
corresponding penalties.
If any question involving any of the above matters should
arise as an incident in any case pending in the regular courts, said
incident shall be determined in that court.
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D) Jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals under B. P. Blg.
129 as amended by R. A. 7902.
"Sec. 9. Jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals shall exercise:

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"(1) Original jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus,
prohibition, certiorari, habeas corpus, and quo warranto, and
auxiliary writs or processes, whether or not in aid of its
appellate jurisdiction;
"(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over actions
annulment of judgment of Regional Trial Courts; and

for

"(3) Exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all final judgments,

decisions, resolutions, orders or awards of Regional Trial
Courts and quasi-judicial agencies, instrumentalities, boards
or commissions, including the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the Social Security Commission, the Employees
Compensation
Commission
and
the
Civil
Service
Commission, except those falling within the appellate
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in accordance with the
Constitution, the Labor Code of the Philippines under
Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended, the provisions of
this Act, and of subparagraph (1) of the third paragraph and
subparagraph (4) of the fourth paragraph of Section 17 of
the Judiciary Act of 1948.
"The Court of Appeals shall have the power to try cases and
conduct hearings, receive evidence and perform any and all acts
necessary to resolve factual issues raised in cases falling within its
original and appellate jurisdiction, including the power to grant and
conduct new trials or further proceedings. Trials or hearings in the
Court of Appeals must be continuous and must be completed within
three (3) months, unless extended by the Chief Justice." (As
amended by R. A, No. 7902)
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E) Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under R. A. No.
296 (The Judiciary Act of 1948) as amended by R. A. No.
5440.
Sec. 17. Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The Supreme
Court shall have original jurisdiction over cases affecting
ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls; and original and

exclusive jurisdiction in petitions for the issuance of writs of

certiorari, prohibition and mandamus against the Court of Appeals.
In the following cases, the Supreme Court shall exercise
original and concurrent jurisdiction with Courts of First Instance:
1. In petition for the issuance of writs of certiorari,
prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus;
and
2. In actions brought to prevent and restrain violations of
law concerning monopolies and combinations in restraint of
trade.
The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to
review, revise, reverse, modify or affirm on appeal, as the law or
rules of court may provide, final judgments and decrees of inferior
courts as herein provided, in
(1) All criminal cases involving offenses for which the
penalty imposed is death or life imprisonment; and those
involving other offenses which, although not so punished,
arose out of the same occurrence or which may have been
committed by the accused on the same occasion, as that
giving rise to the more serious offense, regardless of
whether the accused are charged as principals, accomplices
or accessories, or whether they have been tried jointly or
separately;
(2) All cases involving petitions for naturalization
denaturalization; and

or

(3) All decisions of the Auditor General, if the appellant is a

private person or entity.
The Supreme Court shall further have exclusive jurisdiction
to review, revise, reverse, modify or affirm on certiorari as the law
or rules of court may provide, final judgments and decrees of
inferior courts as herein provided, in

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(1) All cases in which the constitutionality or validity of any
treaty, law, ordinance, or executive order or regulation is in
question;
(2) All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost,
assessment or toil, or any penalty imposed in relation
thereto;
(3) All cases in which the jurisdiction of any inferior court is
in issue;
(4) All other cases in which only errors or questions of law
are involved: Provided, however, That if, in addition to
constitutional, tax or jurisdictional questions, the cases
mentioned in the three next preceding paragraphs also
involve questions of fact or mixed questions of fact and law,
the aggrieved party shall appeal to the Court of Appeals;
and the final judgment or decision of the latter may be
reviewed, revised, reversed, modified or affirmed by the
Supreme Court on writ of certiorari; and
(5) Final awards, judgments, decisions, or orders of the
Commission on Elections, Court of Tax Appeals, Court of
Industrial Relations, the Public Service Commission and the
Workmen's Compensation Commission.
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