EDGAR G.

REQUILME Civil Procedure

(Section II – Fri 7-9 PM & Sun 10 AM-12 NN)

JURISDICTION OF PHILIPPINE COURTS IN CIVIL CASES

Municipal Trial Courts/
Supreme Court Court of Appeals Regional Trial Court Family Courts Metropolitan Trial Court/
Municipal Circuit Trial
Courts

A. ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

1. Exclusive Art VIII, Section 5. (1) [1987
Constitution]
 over petitions for
certiorari, prohibition,
mandamus, quo
warranto, and habeas
corpus
(Regalado)
CPM against:
a) Court of Appeals
b) Court of Tax Appeals
c) Sandiganbayan
d) Commission on
Elections
e) Commission on Audit
Sec 9 (2) [BP 129]. Sec 19 {except (5) }[BP 129]. Sec. 5. {except (a) } [RA Section 33. Jurisdiction of
Exclusive original jurisdiction Jurisdiction in civil cases. – 8369] Jurisdiction offamily Metropolitan Trial Courts,
over actions for annulment Regional Trial Courts shall Courts. - The Family Courts Municipal Trial Courts and
of judgements of Regional exercise exclusive original shall have exclusive original Municipal Circuit Trial
Trial Courts; and jurisdiction: jurisdiction to hear and Courts in civil cases. –
decide the following cases: Metropolitan Trial Courts,
(1) In all civil actions in which Municipal Trial Courts, and
the subject of the litigation is b) Petitions for Municipal Circuit Trial
incapable of pecuniary guardianship, custody of Courts shall exercise:
estimation; children, habeas corpus in
relation to the latter; (1) Exclusive original
(2) In all civil actions which jurisdiction over civil actions
involve the title to, or c) Petitions for adoption of and probate proceedings,
possession of, real property, children and the revocation testate and intestate,
or any interest therein, where thereof; including the grant of
the assessed value of the provisional remedies in
property involved exceeds d) Complaints for proper cases, where the
Twenty thousand pesos annulment of marriage, value of the personal
(P20,000.00) or for civil declaration of nullity of property, estate, or amount
actions in Metro Manila, marriage and those relating of the demand does not
where such the value to marital status and exceed One hundred
exceeds Fifty thousand pesos property relations of thousand pesos
(50,000.00) except actions for husband and wife or those (P100,000.00) or, in Metro
forcible entry into and living together under Manila where such personal
unlawful detainer of lands or different status and property, estate, or amount
buildings, original jurisdiction agreements, and petitions of the demand does not
over which is conferred upon for dissolution of conjugal exceed Two hundred
Metropolitan Trial Courts, partnership of gains; thousand pesos
Municipal Trial Courts, and (P200,000.00) exclusive of
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts; e) Petitions for support interest damages of
and/or acknowledgment; whatever kind, attorney's
(3) In all actions in admiralty fees, litigation expenses,
and maritime jurisdiction f) Summary judicial and costs, the amount of
where he demand or claim proceedings brought under which must be specifically
exceeds One hundred the provisions of Executive alleged: Provided, That
thousand pesos Order No. 209, otherwise where there are several
(P100,000.00) or , in Metro known as the "Family Code claims or causes of action
Manila, where such demand of the Philippines"; between the same or
or claim exceeds Two different parties, embodied
hundred thousand pesos g) Petitions for declaration in the same complaint, the
(200,000.00); of status of children as amount of the demand shall
abandoned, dependent o be the totality of the claims
(4) In all matters of probate, neglected children, petitions in all the causes of action,
both testate and intestate, for voluntary or involuntary irrespective of whether the
where the gross value of the commitment of children; the causes of action arose out
estate exceeds One hundred suspension, termination, or of the same or different
thousand pesos restoration of parental transactions;
(P100,000.00) or, in probate authority and other cases
matters in Metro Manila, cognizable under (2) Exclusive original
where such gross value Presidential Decree No. jurisdiction over cases of
exceeds Two hundred 603, Executive Order No. forcible entry and unlawful
thousand pesos 56, (Series of 1986), and detainer: Provided, That
(200,000.00);; other related laws; when, in such cases, the
defendant raises the
(6) In all cases not within the h) Petitions for the question of ownership in his
exclusive jurisdiction of any constitution of the family pleadings and the question
court, tribunal, person or body home; of possession cannot be
exercising jurisdiction or any resolved without deciding
court, tribunal, person or body i) Cases against minors the issue of ownership, the
exercising judicial or quasi- cognizable under the issue of ownership shall be
judicial functions; Dangerous Drugs Act, as resolved only to determine
amended; the issue of possession.
(7) In all civil actions and
special proceedings falling j) Violations of Republic Act (3) Exclusive original
within the exclusive original No. 7610, otherwise known jurisdiction in all civil actions
jurisdiction of a Juvenile and as the "Special Protection which involve title to, or
Domestic Relations Court and of Children Against Child possession of, real property,
of the Courts of Agrarian Abuse, Exploitation and or any interest therein where
Relations as now provided by Discrimination Act," as the assessed value of the
law; and amended by Republic Act property or interest therein
 No. 7658; and does not exceed Twenty
(8) In all other cases in which thousand pesos
the demand, exclusive of k) Cases of domestic (P20,000.00) or, in civil
interest, damages of violence against: actions in Metro Manila,
whatever kind, attorney's where such assessed value
fees, litigation expenses, and 1) Women - which are acts does not exceed Fifty
costs or the value of the of gender based violence thousand pesos
property in controversy that results, or are likely to (P50,000.00) exclusive of
exceeds One hundred result in physical, sexual or interest, damages of
thousand pesos (100,000.00) psychological harm or whatever kind, attorney's
or, in such other suffering to women; and fees, litigation expenses and
abovementioned items other forms of physical costs: Provided, That value
exceeds Two hundred abuse such as battering or of such property shall be
thousand pesos (200,000.00). threats and coercion which determined by the assessed
(as amended by R.A. No. violate a woman's value of the adjacent lots.
7691*) personhood, integrity and (as amended by R.A. No.
freedom movement; and 7691)
Note:
Not included is Sec 19 (5) 2) Children - which include
[BP 129] In all actions the commission of all forms
involving the contract of of abuse, neglect, cruelty,
marriage and marital relations 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.
2. Concurrent (Regalado)
(a). With the Court of Appeals
over petitions for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus
against:
a) Regional Trial Courts
b) Civil Service Commission
c) Central Board of Assessments Appeals
d) National Labor Relations Commission
e) Other quasi judicial agencies

(b) With the Court of Appeals and Regional Trial Court

 over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus against RTC
 quo warranto, and habeas corpus
With the RTC: With the SC:
 Exercise original  Exercise original
jurisdiction over cases jurisdiction over cases
affecting affecting
ambassadors, other ambassadors, other
public ministers and public ministers and
consuls consuls

B. APPELLATE JURISDICTION

Petitions for review on Sec 9 (3) [BP 129]. Section 22. Appellate
certiorari against: 1. Ordinary Appeals: jurisdiction. – Regional Trial
- Court of Appeals Exclusive appellate Courts shall exercise
- Court of Tax Appeals jurisdiction over all final appellate jurisdiction over all
- Sandiganbayan judgments, resolutions, cases decided by
- Regional Trial Courts orders or awards of Metropolitan Trial Courts,
involving cases on –Art VIII, Regional Trial Courts * Municipal Trial Courts, and
Sec 5 (2) Municipal Circuit Trial Courts
2.Appeal by Petition for in their respective territorial
(a) All cases in which the Review from: jurisdictions. Such cases shall
constitutionality or be decided on the basis of
validity of any treaty, quasi-judicial agencies, the entire record of the
international or instrumentalities, boards or proceedings had in the court
executive agreement, commission, including the of origin and such
law, presidential Securities and Exchange memoranda and/or briefs as
decree, proclamation, Commission, the Social may be submitted by the
order, instruction, Security Commission, the parties or required by the
ordinance, or Employees Compensation Regional Trial Courts. The
regulation is in Commission and the Civil decision of the Regional Trial
question. Service Commission, Courts in such cases shall be
 appealable by petition for
(b) All cases involving 3.. Petitions for review from review to the
the legality of any tax, the RTC to cases appealed
impost, assessment, thereto from the lower courts Court of Appeals which may
or toll, or any penalty give it due course only when
imposed in relation Note: the petition shows prima facie
thereto. * Except those falling within that the lower court has
the appellate jurisdiction of committed an error of fact or
the Supreme Court in law that will warrant a
(c) All cases in which the accordance with the reversal or modification of the
jurisdiction of any Constitution, the Labor Code decision or judgment sought
lower court is in of the Philippines under to be reviewed.
issue. Presidential Decree No. 442,
as amended, the provisions
(d) All criminal cases in of this Act, and of
which the penalty subparagraph (1) of the third
imposed is reclusion paragraph and
perpetua or higher. subparagraph 4 of the fourth
paragraph od Section 17 of
the Judiciary Act of 1948.
(e) All cases in which
only an error or
question of law is
involved.

Delegated Jurisdiction 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
the 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. (as
amended by R.A. No. 7691)

Special Jurisdiction Section 23. Special

jurisdiction to try special Section 35. Special
cases. – The Supreme Court jurisdiction in certain cases.
may designate certain – In the absence of all the
branches of the Regional Regional Trial Judges in a
Trial Courts to handle province or city, any
exclusively criminal cases, Metropolitan Trial Judge,
juvenile and domestic Municipal Trial Judge,
relations cases, agrarian Municipal Circuit Trial Judge
cases, urban land reform may hear and decide
cases which do not fall under petitions for a writ of habeas
the jurisdiction of quasi- corpus or applications for
judicial bodies and agencies, bail in criminal cases in the
and/or such other special province or city where the
cases as the Supreme Court absent Regional Trial
may determine in the interest Judges sit.
of a speedy and efficient
administration of justice.