Hierarchy of Philippine Courts

(And their Jurisdictions)

The judicial System of the Philippines provides courts both of law and
equity which have jurisdiction over all civil, criminal and probate cases
unlike those courts in other countries.
The Final Arbiter: The Supreme Court

The supreme law of the land decrees that the judicial power be vested
in one Supreme Court and such lower courts as may be established by
law. [Section 1, Art. VIII, 1987 Constitution). Thus the Supreme Court of
the Philippines composed of 14 Associate Justices and one Chief Justice
is established.
Seated in division or en banc the Supreme Court is duty bound to
adjudicate on actual controversies involving rights which are legally
demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there
has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of
jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
Government; the latter obligation being unique to the
1987Constitution.
Section 5 of Article VIII of our present constitution declares the powers
of the Supreme Court. Paragraph2 of the same Article and section
provides for the courts authority to:

Review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm on appeal or certiorari, as the

law or the Rules of Court may provide, final judgments and orders of
lower courts in:
1. All cases in which the constitutionality or validity of any treaty,
international or executive agreement, law, presidential decree,
proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance, or regulation is in
question.
2. All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost, assessment, or
toll, or any penalty imposed in relation thereto.
3. All cases in which
4. the jurisdiction of any lower court is in issue.
5. All criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is reclusion
perpetua or higher.
6. All cases in which only an error or question of law is involved.
Thus the Supreme Court is the court of last resort for its decisions
are final: doctrines established through jurisprudence either by
the court sitting en banc or in division can only be reversed by the
same court seated en banc.
The Supreme Court is final not because it is right, but rather it is right because it is
final

Sandiganbayan
A special Graft court, the Sandiganbayan, composed of a Presiding
Justice and 14 Associate Justices, has exclusive jurisdiction over
violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act [Republic Act No.
3019], the Unexplained Wealth Act [Republic Act No.1379] and other
crimes or felonies committed by public officials and employees in
relation to their office, including those employees in governmentowned or controlled corporations.
Presidential Decree 1606 (as amended by RA 7975 and RA 8249,)
Sandiganbayan exercises exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases
involving:
1. Violations of RA 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the AntiGraft and corrupt Practices Act, RA 1379 and Chapter II, Sec 2,
Title VII, Book II of the RPC, where one or more of the accused are
officials occupying the following positions in the government,
whether in a permanent, acting or interim capacity, at the time of
the commission of the offense;
I.
Officials of executive branch occupying the positions of
regional director and higher otherwise classified as grade 27

II.
III.

and higher, of the Compensation and Position Classification Act

of 1989;
Members of Congress and officials thereof as grade 27 and up
under the Compensation and position clarification Act 0f 1989;
Members of the Judiciary without prejudice to the provisions of
the Chairman and members of the Constitutional Commissions
without prejudice to the provisions of the Constitution and

IV.

All other national and local officials classified as grade27

and higher under the compensation and Position Classification
Act.

2. Violations of the law on Plunder and Anti-Money Laundering Act

of 2001 committed by the aforementioned public officials and
employees in relation to their office;
3. Other offenses and felonies whether simple or complexed with other
crimes committed by the aforementioned public officials and
employees in relation to their office;
4. Civil and Criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with EO
1, 2, 14 and 14-A issued in 1986;
5. Petition for the issuance of writs of mandamus, certiorari, habeas
corpus, injunction and other ancillary writs and processes in aid of its
appellate jurisdiction and over petitions of similar in nature, including
quo warranto, that may arise in cases filed under EO 1, 2, 14, 14-A
issued in 1986: Provided, that the jurisdiction over thesepetitions shal
not be exclusive of the Supreme Court

Courts of General Jurisdiction: REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS

Formerly known as the Court of First Instances (CFI) Regional Trial
Courts were established among the thirteen regions in the Philippines
consisting of Regions I to XII and the National Capital Region
(NCR).There are as many Regional Trial Courts in each region as the law
mandates.

These courts have authority to try cases, without limitations as to the

issue or monetary restrictions, to which Municipal, Metropolitan and
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts are subjected to. Thus Civil claims or
Criminal prosecutions which involves an amount of money or a
potential criminal sentence, beyond the jurisdiction of Municipal,
Metropolitan and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts must be filed and heard
in this Court.

R.A. 7961 expands the Regional Trial Courts exercise of exclusive

original jurisdiction in civil cases:
1. Actions in which the subject of litigation is incapable of Pecuniary
estimation;
2. Actions which involves the title to, or possession of, real property, or
any interest therein, where the assessed value of the property involved
exceeds twenty thousand pesos, or for civil actions in Metro Manila,
where such value exceeds fifty thousand pesos, except actions for
forcible entry and unlawful detainer;
3. Actions in admiralty and maritime jurisdiction where the demand or
claim exceeds two hundred thousand pesos or, in Metro Manila four
hundred thousand pesos;
4. Matters of probate, both testate and intestate, where the gross value
of the estate exceeds two hundred thousand pesos or in Metro Manila
four hundred thousand pesos;
5. Actions involving the contract of marriage and marital relations (now
under the jurisdiction of the Family Court);

6. Cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court, tribunal,

person or body exercising judicial or quasi judicial functions;
7. Civil actions and special proceedings falling within the exclusive
original jurisdiction of the Juvenile and domestic relation court (now
Family Court)
8. Other cases in which the demand, exclusive of interest, damages of
whatever kind, attorneys fees, litigation expense and costs, or the
value of the property in controversy exceeds to hundred thousand
pesos or, in such other cases in Metro Manila, where the demand,
exclusive of the above mentioned items exceeds four hundred
thousand pesos. However, in cases where the claim for damages is the
main cause of action, or one of the causes of action, the amount of
such claim shall be considered in determining the jurisdiction of the
court.
The Muslim Courts: The Shari'a
PD1083 recognizes the legal system of the Muslims in the Philippines as
part of the law of the land and seeks to make Islamic institutions more
effective. The Sharias Courts under the Muslim code are equivalent to
the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts with Jurisdiction over Muslim Filipinos
in Mindanao. Equivalent to the Regional Trial Courts in rank are the
Shari'a
District Courts which were established in certain specified provinces in
Mindanao where the Muslim Code on Personal Laws is being enforced.
Courts of Limited Jurisdiction: Municipal and City Courts

I.

Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts

Municipalities in the Philippines have their own Municipal Trial
Court, which try cases limited to civil suits involving relatively
smaller amounts of money and minor violations of criminal
laws. Labeled as inferior courts, they hear and adjudicate
most of the controversies that occur in the Community and
these are the courts closest to the people. They are referred to
as Municipal Trial Court (MTC) if one covers only one
municipality; otherwise, it is called Municipal Circuit Trial Court
(MCTC) if it covers two or more municipalities. Municipal Trial
Courts in the towns and cities in the Metropolitan Manila area,
as distinguished from the other political subdivisions in the
Philippines, are referred to as Metropolitan Trial Courts
(MeTC).The equivalent of the Municipal Trial Courts in cities
outside Metropolitan Manila is referred to as Municipal Trial
Courts in Cities (MTCC).