a.

Criminal Cases falling under the jurisdiction of first level courts

Section 32. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts in criminal cases. Except in cases falling within the exclusive original
jurisdiction of Regional Trial Courts and of the Sandiganbayan, the Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise:
(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all violations of city or municipal ordinances
committed within their respective territorial jurisdiction; and
(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all offenses punishable with imprisonment not
exceeding six (6) years irrespective of the amount of fine, and regardless 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: Provided, however, That in offenses involving damage to property through
criminal negligence they shall have exclusive original jurisdiction thereof. (as amended
by R.A, No. 7691)
b. Criminal Cases Governed by the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure

B. Criminal Cases:
(1) Violations of traffic laws, rules and regulations;
(2) Violations of the rental law;
(3) Violations of municipal or city ordinances;
(4) 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).
This Rule shall not apply to a civil case where the plaintiffs cause of action is pleaded in the
same complaint with another cause of action subject to the ordinary procedure; nor to a criminal
case where the offense charged is necessarily related to another criminal case subject to the
ordinary procedure.
c. Criminal Cases Falling under the jurisdiction of Family Courts
Section 5. J urisdiction offamily 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 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
Ptesidential 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.
d. Criminal Cases Falling under the Sandigan bayan
Section 4. Section 4 of the same decree is hereby further amended to read as follows:
"a. Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the Anti-graft
and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act No. 1379, and Chapter II, Section 2, Title VII,
Book II of the Revised Penal Code, 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:
"(1) Officials of the executive branch occupying the positions of regional director
and higher, otherwise classified as Grade '27' and higher, of the Compensation
and Position Classification Act of 1989 (Republic Act No. 6758), specifically
including:
"(a) Provincial governors, vice-governors, members of the sangguniang
panlalawigan and provincial treasurers, assessors, engineers and other
provincial department heads;
"(b) City mayors, vice-mayors, members of the sangguniang panlungsod,
city treasurers, assessors engineers and other city department heads;
"(c) Officials of the diplomatic service occupying the position of consul
and higher;
"(d) Philippine army and air force colonels, naval captains, and all officers
of higher rank;
"(e) Officers of the Philippine National Police while occupying the
position of provincial director and those holding the rank of senior
superintendent or higher;
"(f) City and provincial prosecutors and their assistants, and officials and
prosecutors in the Office of the Ombudsman and special prosecutor;
"(g) Presidents, directors or trustees, or managers of government-owned or
-controlled corporations, state universities or educational institutions or
foundations;
"(2) Members of Congress and officials thereof classified as Grade'27'and up
under the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989;
"(3) Members of the judiciary without prejudice to the provisions of the
Constitution;
"(4) Chairmen and members of Constitutional Commissions, without prejudice to
the provisions of the Constitution; and
"(5) All other national and local officials classified as Grade'27'and higher under
the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989.
"b. Other offenses orfelonies whether simple or complexed with other crimes committed
by the public officials and employees mentioned in subsection a of this section in relation
to their office.
"c. Civil and criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with Executive Order
Nos. 1, 2, 14 and 14-A, issued in 1986.
"In cases where none of the accused are occupying positions corresponding to salary
grade '27' or higher, as prescribed in the said Republic Act No. 6758, or military or PNP
officers mentioned above, exclusive original jurisdiction thereof shall be vested in the
proper regional trial court, metropolitan trial court, municipal trial court and municipal
circuit trial court ' as the case may be, pursuant to their respective jurisdiction as provided
in Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended.
"The Sandiganbayan shall exercise exclusive appellate jurisdiction over final judgments,
resolutions or orders or regional trial courts whether in the exercise of their own original
jurisdiction orof their appellate jurisdiction as herein provided.
"The Sandiganbayan shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over petitions for the
issuance of the writs of mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, habeas corpus, injunctions, and
other ancillary writs and processes in aid of its appellate jurisdiction and over petitions of
similar nature, including quo warranto, arising or that may arise in cases filed or which
may be filed under Executive Order Nos. 1,2,14 and 14-A, issued in 1986: Provided, That
the jurisdiction over these petitions shall not be exclusive of the Supreme Court.
The procedure prescribed in Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as well as the implementing rules
that the Supreme Court has promulgated and may hereafter promulgate, relative to
appeals/petitions for review to the Court of Appeals, shall apply to appeals and petitions
for review filed with the Sandiganbayan. In all cases elevated to the Sandiganbayan and
from the Sandiganbayan to the Supreme Court, the Office of the Ombudsman, through its
special prosecutor, shall represent the People of the Philippines, except in cases filed
pursuant to Executive Order Nos. 1, 2, 14 and 14-A, issued in 1986.
"In case private individuals are charged as co-principals, accomplices or accessories with
the public officers or employees, including those employed in govemment-owned or
controlled corporations, they shall be tried jointly with said public officers and employees
in the proper courts which shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction over them.
"Any provisions of law or Rules of Court to the contrary notwithstanding, the criminal
action and the corresponding civil action for the recovery of civil liability shall at all
times be simultaneously instituted with, and jointly determined in, the same proceeding
by the Sandiganbayan or the appropriate courts, the filing of the criminal action being
deemed to necessarily carry with it the filing of the civil action, and no right to reserve
the filing of such civil action separately from the criminal action shall be recognized:
Provided, however, That where the civil action had therefore been filed separately but
judgment therein has not yet been rendered, and the criminal case is hereafter filed with
the Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, said civil action shall be transferred to the
Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, as the case may be, for consolidation and joint
determination with the criminal action, otherwise the separate civil action shall be
deemed abandoned."
e. Criminal Cases falling under the Court of Tax Appeals
"Sec. 7. Jurisdiction. - The CTA shall exercise:
"a. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction to review by appeal, as herein provided:
"1. Decisions of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in cases involving
disputed assessments, refunds of internal revenue taxes, fees or other charges,
penalties in relation thereto, or other matters arising under the National Internal
Revenue or other laws administered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue;
"2. Inaction by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in cases involving disputed
assessments, refunds of internal revenue taxes, fees or other charges, penalties in
relations thereto, or other matters arising under the National Internal Revenue
Code or other laws administered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, where the
National Internal Revenue Code provides a specific period of action, in which
case the inaction shall be deemed a denial;
"3. Decisions, orders or resolutions of the Regional Trial Courts in local tax cases
originally decided or resolved by them in the exercise of their original or appellate
jurisdiction;
"4. Decisions of the Commissioner of Customs in cases involving liability for
customs duties, fees or other money charges, seizure, detention or release of
property affected, fines, forfeitures or other penalties in relation thereto, or other
matters arising under the Customs Law or other laws administered by the Bureau
of Customs;
"5. Decisions of the Central Board of Assessment Appeals in the exercise of its
appellate jurisdiction over cases involving the assessment and taxation of real
property originally decided by the provincial or city board of assessment appeals;
"6. Decisions of the Secretary of Finance on customs cases elevated to him
automatically for review from decisions of the Commissioner of Customs which
are adverse to the Government under Section 2315 of the Tariff and Customs
Code;
"7. Decisions of the Secretary of Trade and Industry, in the case of
nonagricultural product, commodity or article, and the Secretary of Agriculture in
the case of agricultural product, commodity or article, involving dumping and
countervailing duties under Section 301 and 302, respectively, of the Tariff and
Customs Code, and safeguard measures under Republic Act No. 8800, where
either party may appeal the decision to impose or not to impose said duties.
"b. Jurisdiction over cases involving criminal offenses as herein provided:
"1. Exclusive original jurisdiction over all criminal offenses arising from
violations of the National Internal Revenue Code or Tariff and Customs Code and
other laws administered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue or the Bureau of
Customs: Provided, however, That offenses or felonies mentioned in this
paragraph where the principal amount o taxes and fees, exclusive of charges and
penalties, claimed is less than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) or where there
is no specified amount claimed shall be tried by the regular Courts and the
jurisdiction of the CTA shall be appellate. Any provision of law or the Rules of
Court to the contrary notwithstanding, the criminal action and the corresponding
civil action for the recovery of civil liability for taxes and penalties shall at all
times be simultaneously instituted with, and jointly determined in the same
proceeding by the CTA, the filing of the criminal action being deemed to
necessarily carry with it the filing of the civil action, and no right to reserve the
filling of such civil action separately from the criminal action will be recognized.
"2. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction in criminal offenses:
"a. Over appeals from the judgments, resolutions or orders of the Regional
Trial Courts in tax cases originally decided by them, in their respected
territorial jurisdiction.
"b. Over petitions for review of the judgments, resolutions or orders of the
Regional Trial Courts in the exercise of their appellate jurisdiction over
tax cases originally decided by the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal
Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts in their respective
jurisdiction.
"c. Jurisdiction over tax collection cases as herein provided:
"1. Exclusive original jurisdiction in tax collection cases involving
final and executory assessments for taxes, fees, charges and
penalties: Provided, however, That collection cases where the
principal amount of taxes and fees, exclusive of charges and
penalties, claimed is less than One million pesos (P1,000,000.00)
shall be tried by the proper Municipal Trial Court, Metropolitan
Trial Court and Regional Trial Court.
"2. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction in tax collection cases:
"a. Over appeals from the judgments, resolutions or orders
of the Regional Trial Courts in tax collection cases
originally decided by them, in their respective territorial
jurisdiction.
"b. Over petitions for review of the judgments, resolutions
or orders of the Regional Trial Courts in the Exercise of
their appellate jurisdiction over tax collection cases
originally decided by the Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts,
in their respective jurisdiction."