Criminal Jurisdiction of the Municipal Trial Court (MTC), Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) and

Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC)

1) Over offenses punishable with imprisonment not exceeding 6 years irrespective of

other imposable accessory or other penalties including the civil liability arising from
such offenses or predicated thereon, irrespective of kind, nature, value or amount
thereof.
2) Where the only penalty provided for by law is a fine, over offenses punishable with a
fine of not more than PhP4,000.00.
3) Offenses involving damage to property through criminal negligence;
4) Special jurisdiction to decide on applications for bail in criminal cases in the absence of
all the Regional Trial Court Judges in a province or city.
5) Under Presidential Decree No. 1606, as amended by Republic Act No. 8249, the
criminal cases of:
a) Government officials and employees;
b) Where the imposable penalty is imprisonment of 6 years or less or fine is PHP4,000.00 or
less; and
c) Officer charged does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan or whose salary
is below grade 27 and not among those enumerated in Section 4, P.D. No. 1606, as amended.
6) Summary procedure in the following cases:
1) B.P. Blg. 22 cases;
2) Violations of traffic laws, rules and regulations
3) Violations of the rental law;
4) Violations of municipal or city ordinances;
5) All other criminal cases where the penalty prescribed by law for the offense charged is
imprisonment not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding (P1,000.00), or both,
irrespective of other imposable penalties, accessory or otherwise, or of the civil liability
arising therefrom: Provided, however, that in offenses involving damage to property through
criminal negligence, this Rule shall govern where the imposable fine does not exceed ten
thousand pesos (P10,000.00).
 CRIMINAL JURISDICTION OF REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

1) Over all criminal cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court, tribunal or
body, except those now falling under the exclusive and concurrent jurisdiction of the
Sandiganbayan;
2) Over offenses punishable with imprisonment exceeding 6 years;
3) Where the only penalty provided for by law is a fine, over offenses punishable with a
fine of more than PhP4,000.00;
4) Appellate jurisdiction over all cases decided by the Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts in their respective territorial
jurisdictions;
5) Over criminal cases under specific laws such as:
 Libel cases even though punishable by prison correctional;
 Violation of intellectual property rights implementing R.A. No. 8293;
6) Under P.D. No. 1606, as amended by R.A. No. 8249, the criminal cases of:
a) Government officials and employees;
b) Where the imposable penalty is imprisonment of more than 6 years or fine is more than
Php4,000.00; and
c) Officer charged does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan and not among
those enumerated in Section 4, P.D. No. 1606, as amended;
7) Election Offenses
8) Court Martial Cases, EXCEPT when the offense is Service Oriented, it will be tried by
the court martial provided the President may, in the interest of justice, order or
direct at any time before arraignment that any such crimes or offenses be tried by
the proper civil courts;
9) RTC shall have jurisdiction for offenses cognizable by the Sandiganbayan where the
information:
a) Does not allege any damage to the government or any bribery; or
b) Alleged damage to the government or bribery arising from the same or closely related
transactions or acts in an amount not exceeding 1 Million Pesos.
 CRIMINAL JURISDICTION OF THE SANDIGANBAYAN

1) Violations of:
a) R.A. No. 3019;
b) R.A. No. 1379 (An Act Declaring Forfeiture in favor of the State any property found to
have been unlawfully acquired by Public Officer or Employee);
c) Crimes mentioned in RPC (Book 2, Title VII, Section 2, Chapter 2) i.e. Direct Bribery;
Indirect Bribery; Qualified Bribery etc.

Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction where one or more of the accused are:

 Officials of the Executive Branch, occupying salary grade 27 and higher,

 Specifically including the following officials:
i. Provincial governors, vice governors, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and
provincial treasurers, assessors, engineers and other provincial department heads;
ii. City mayors, vice mayors, members of city Sangguniang Panlungsod, city treasurers,
assessors, engineers and other city department heads;
iii. Officials of the diplomatic service occupying the position of consul and higher;
iv. Philippine army and air force colonels, naval captains and all officers of higher rank;
v. Officers of the PNP, occupying the position of provincial director and those holding the
rank of senior superintendent or higher;
vi. City and Provincial prosecutors and their assistants, and officials and prosecutors in the
Office of the Ombudsman and special prosecutors; and
vii. Presidents/directors/trustees/manage rs of GOCCS, state universities or educational
institutions/foundations.
 Members of Congress and officials thereof classified as grade 27 and up;
 Members of the Judiciary without prejudice to constitutional provisions.
 Chairmen and members of Constitutional Commissions, without prejudice to
Constitutional provisions
 All other national and local officials as grade 27 and higher under the Compensation
and Position Classification Act
2) Other offenses or felonies whether simple or complexed with other crimes committed
by public officials and employees mentioned in Section 4 (a) of P.D. No. 1606, as
amended by R.A. No. 7975 in relation to their office.
3) Civil and Criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with Executive Order Nos. 1,
2, 14, 14-A of 1986
4) Violations of Republic Act No. 6713
5) Violation of Republic Act No. 7080
6) Violation of Republic Act No. 9160 when committed by public officers or private
persons who are in conspiracy with public officers
 JURISDICTION OF THE COURT OF APPEALS

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 for annulment of judgments of Regional Trial
Courts; and
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, 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

a) cases falling within its original jurisdiction, such as actions for annulment of judgments of
RTCS,
b) cases falling within its appellate jurisdiction where a motion for new trial based only on newly
discovered evidence is granted by it.

The CA has the power to grant and conduct new trials or further proceedings. (As amended by
RA No. 7902, February 23, 1995.)
 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 Regional Trial Court:

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 PINAY JURIST restraint 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 or denaturalization; and
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

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 toll, 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.