Report on the Jurisdiction of Courts

The PHILIPPINE JUDICIARY

Under Article VIII, §1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the judicial power shall be vested in
one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be provided by law. This power includes
the duty to settle actual controversies involving rights that are legally demandable and
enforceable and to determine if any branch or instrumentality of government has acted with
grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of excess of jurisdiction.

FIRST LEVEL COURTS

MeTC
MTC
MCTC
MTCC
Each city and municipality in the Philippines has its own trial court. These First Level Courts are
more commonly referred to as Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC), Municipal Trial Courts in Cities
(MTCC), Municipal Trial Court (MTC), and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts (MCTC). The MeTCs are
the first level courts in the Metropolitan Manila area. First level courts in cities outside
Metropolitan Manila are referred to as the MTCCs. The MTCs are first level courts that cover
only one municipality, whereas MCTCs cover multiple municipalities.

SECOND LEVEL COURTS

Regional Trial Courts is the only Second Level Court, which were established among the
thirteen Judicial 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. RTCs
were formerly called as the Court of First Instance since the Spanish era. It was only in the
Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980 that its name was changed from being called the Court of
First Instance to Regional Trial Court.

APPELLATE COURTS
COURT OF APPEALS
The Court of Appeals was established on February 1, 1936 by virtue of Commonwealth
Act No. 3 and is considered as the second highest tribunal in the country. It is composed of one
presiding justice and 68 associate justices, all of which are appointed by the President from a
shortlist submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council. The associate justices shall have precedence
according to the dates (or order, in case of similar appointment dates) of their respective
appointments. The qualifications for the justices of the Supreme Court also apply to members
of the Court of Appeals.

The Court of Appeals’ principal mandate is to exercise appellate jurisdiction on all cases not
falling within the original and exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Its decisions are final
 except when appealed to the Supreme Court on questions of law. The jurisdiction of the Court
of Appeals are as follows:

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 judgements of Regional Trial Courts;
and

3. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all final judgements, resolutions, orders or awards of
Regional Trial Courts and quasi-judicial agencies, instrumentalities, boards or commission.

The Court of Appeals shall also have the power to try cases and conduct hearings, receive
evidence and perform 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
proceedings.

COURT OF TAX APPEALS

The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) was created on June 16, 1954, through the enactment of
Republic Act No. 1125 (R.A. 1125). Its jurisdiction and composition have been increased with
passage of several legislations. With the enactment of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9282 on April 23,
2004, the CTA became an appellate Court, equal in rank to the Court of Appeals. The
composition of the Court increased to six (6) Justices with one (1) Presiding Justice and five (5)
Associate Justices.

R.A. No. 9503 took effect on July 5, 2008, which further enlarged the organizational structure of
the CTA. The CTA is now composed of one (1) Presiding Justice and eight (8) Associate Justices.
The CTA may sit en banc or in three (3) divisions with each division consisting of three (3)
Justices. A decision of a division of the CTA may be appealed to the CTA En Banc, and the
latter’s decision may further be appealed by verified petition for certiorari to the Supreme
Court.

SANDIGANBAYAN
Both the 1973 and 1987 Constitution contain provisions on the present anti-graft court
known as the Sandiganbayan. It has jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases involving graft and
corrupt practices and such other offenses committed by public officers and employees,
including those in government-owned or controlled corporations, in relation to their office as
may be determined by law. The jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan is perhaps one of the most
often amended provision from the 1973 Constitution to Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8249. Before
R.A. No. 8249, jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan was determined on the basis of the penalty
imposable on the offense charged. Thereafter, it was amended such that regardless of the
penalty, so long as the offense charged was committed by a public officer, the Sandiganbayan
was vested with jurisdiction. Under R.A. No. 8249, to determine whether the Sandiganbayan
has jurisdiction, a person must look into two (2) criteria, namely, the nature of the offense and
the salary grade of the public official.

SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction. It exercises original
jurisdiction (cases are directly filed with the SC in the first instance without passing through any
of the lower courts) over cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and
over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus. (Art.
VIII, §5(1)). It also has original jurisdiction over writs of amparo, habeas data and the
environmental writ of kalikasan. It exercises appellate jurisdiction to review, revise, reverse,
modify, or affirm final judgments, and orders of the lower courts in:
a.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.
b. All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost, assessment, or toll, or any penalty
imposed in relation thereto.

c.All cases in which the jurisdiction of any lower court is in issue.

d. All criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is reclusion perpetua or higher.

e. All cases in which only an error or question of law is involved.

The Supreme Court has administrative supervision over all courts and court personnel.
(Article VIII, §6) It exercises this power through the Office of the Court Administrator.

Rule-Making Powers of the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has the exclusive power to promulgate rules concerning the protection and
enforcement of constitutional rights, pleading, practice, and procedure in all courts, the
admission to the practice of law, the integrated bar, and legal assistance to the underprivileged.
Any such rules shall provide a simplified and inexpensive procedure for the speedy disposition
of cases, shall be uniform for all courts of the same grade, and shall not diminish, increase, or
modify substantive rights. Rules of procedure of special courts and quasi-judicial bodies shall
remain effective unless disapproved by the Supreme Court. (Art. VIII, §54(5))