Regional Trial Court
Section 19. Jurisdiction in civil
cases. Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise exclusive original
jurisdiction:
(1) In all civil actions in which the
subject of the litigation is
incapable of pecuniary estimation;
(2) In all civil actions which involve
the title to, or possession of, real
property, or any interest therein,
where the assessed value of the
property involved exceeds Twenty
thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or
for civil actions in Metro Manila,
where such the value exceeds
Fifty thousand pesos (50,000.00)
except actions for forcible entry
into and unlawful detainer of lands
or buildings, original jurisdiction
over which is conferred upon
Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts, and
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts;
(3) In all actions in admiralty and
maritime jurisdiction where he
demand or claim exceeds One
hundred thousand pesos
(P100,000.00) or , in Metro
Manila, where such demand or
claim exceeds Two hundred
thousand pesos (200,000.00);
(4) In all matters of probate, both
testate and intestate, where the
gross value of the estate exceeds
One hundred thousand pesos
(P100,000.00) or, in probate
matters in Metro Manila, where
such gross value exceeds Two
hundred thousand pesos
(200,000.00);
(5) In all actions involving the
contract of marriage and marital
relations;
(6) In all cases not within the
exclusive jurisdiction of any court,
tribunal, person or body exercising
jurisdiction or any court, tribunal,
person or body exercising judicial
or quasi-judicial functions;
(7) In all civil actions and special
proceedings falling within the
exclusive original jurisdiction of a
Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Court and of the Courts of
Agrarian Relations as now
provided by law; and
(8) In all other cases in which the
demand, exclusive of interest,
damages of whatever kind,
attorney’s fees, litigation
expenses, and costs or the value
of the property in controversy
exceeds One hundred thousand
pesos (100,000.00) or, in such
other abovementioned items
exceeds Two hundred thousand
pesos (200,000.00). (as amended
by R.A. No. 7691*)
Section 20. Jurisdiction in criminal
cases. Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise exclusive original
jurisdiction in 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
which shall hereafter be
exclusively taken cognizance of by
the latter.
Section 21. Original jurisdiction in
other cases. Regional Trial Courts
shall exercise original jurisdiction:
(1) In the issuance of writs of
certiorari, prohibition, mandamus,
quo warranto, habeas corpus and
injunction which may be enforced
in any part of their respective
regions; and
(2) In actions affecting
ambassadors and other public
ministers and consuls.
Section 22. Appellate jurisdiction.
Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise appellate jurisdiction over
all cases decided by Metropolitan
Trial Courts, Municipal Trial
Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial
Courts in their respective territorial
jurisdictions. Such cases shall be
decided on the basis of the entire
record of the proceedings had in
the court of origin and such
memoranda and/or briefs as may
be submitted by the parties or
required by the Regional Trial
Courts. The decision of the
Regional Trial Courts in such
cases shall be appealable by
petition for review to the
Court of Appeals which may give it
due course only when the petition
shows prima facie that the lower
court has committed an error of
fact or law that will warrant a
reversal or modification of the
decision or judgment sought to be
reviewed.
Section 23. Special jurisdiction to
try special cases. The Supreme
Court may designate certain
branches of the Regional Trial
Courts to handle exclusively
criminal cases, juvenile and
domestic relations cases, agrarian
cases, urban land reform cases
which do not fall under the
jurisdiction of quasi-judicial bodies
and agencies, and/or such other
special cases as the Supreme
Court may determine in the
interest of a speedy and efficient
administration of justice.
Section 24. Special Rules of
Procedure. Whenever a Regional
Trial Court takes cognizance of
juvenile and domestic relation
cases and/or agrarian cases, the
special rules of procedure
applicable under present laws to
such cases shall continue to be
applied, unless subsequently
amended by law or by rules of
court promulgated by the Supreme
Court.
MTC MTCC MCTC Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and
Section 32. Jurisdiction of Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall
Metropolitan Trial Courts, exercise:
Municipal Trial Courts and (1) Exclusive original jurisdiction
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts in over civil actions and probate
criminal cases. Except in cases proceedings, testate and intestate,
falling within the exclusive original including the grant of provisional
jurisdiction of Regional Trial remedies in proper cases, where
Courts and of the Sandiganbayan, the value of the personal property,
the Metropolitan Trial Courts, estate, or amount of the demand
Municipal Trial Courts, and does not exceed Three hundred
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall thousand pesos (P300,000.00) or,
exercise: in Metro Manila where such
(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction personal property, estate, or
over all violations of city or amount of the demand does not
municipal ordinances committed exceed Four hundred thousand
within their respective territorial pesos (P400,000.00) exclusive of
jurisdiction; and interest damages of whatever
(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction kind, attorney’s fees, litigation
over all offenses punishable with expenses, and costs, the amount
imprisonment not exceeding six of which must be specifically
(6) years irrespective of the alleged: Provided, That where
amount of fine, and regardless of there are several claims or causes
other imposable accessory or of action between the same or
other penalties, including the civil different parties, embodied in the
liability arising from such offenses same complaint, the amount of the
or predicated thereon, irrespective demand shall be the totality of the
of kind, nature, value, or amount claims in all the causes of action,
thereof: Provided, however, That irrespective of whether the causes
in offenses involving damage to of action arose out of the same or
property through criminal different transactions;
negligence they shall have (2) Exclusive original jurisdiction
exclusive original jurisdiction over cases of forcible entry and
thereof. (as amended by R.A, No. unlawful detainer: Provided, That
7691) when, in such cases, the
Section 33. Jurisdiction of defendant raises the question of
Metropolitan Trial Courts, ownership in his pleadings and the
Municipal Trial Courts and question of possession cannot be
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts in resolved without deciding the
civil cases. Metropolitan Trial issue of ownership, the issue of
ownership shall be resolved only
to determine the issue of
possession.
(3) Exclusive original jurisdiction in
all civil actions which involve title
to, or possession of, real property,
or any interest therein where the
assessed value of the property or
interest therein does not exceed
Twenty thousand pesos
(P20,000.00) or, in civil actions in
Metro Manila, where such
assessed value does not exceed
Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00)
exclusive of interest, damages of
whatever kind, attorney’s fees,
litigation expenses and costs:
Provided, That value of such
property shall be determined by
the assessed value of the adjacent
lots. (as amended by R.A. No.
7691)
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
determine cadastral or
registration cases covering
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
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)
Section 35. Special jurisdiction in
certain cases. In the absence of all
the Regional Trial Judges in a
province or city, any Metropolitan
Trial Judge, Municipal Trial Judge,
Municipal Circuit Trial Judge may
hear and decide petitions for a writ of
habeas corpus or applications for bail
in criminal cases in the province or
city where the absent Regional Trial
Judges sit.
Section 36. Summary procedures in
special cases. In Metropolitan Trial
Courts and Municipal Trial Courts
with at least two branches, the
Supreme Court may designate one
or more branches thereof to try
exclusively forcible entry and
unlawful detainer cases, those
involving violations of traffic laws,
rules and regulations, violations of
the rental law, and such other cases
and requiring summary disposition as the
land Supreme Court may determine. The
lots Supreme Court shall adopt special
rules or procedures applicable to
such cases in order to achieve an
expeditious and inexpensive
determination thereof without regard
to technical rules. Such simplified
procedures may provide that
affidavits and counter-affidavits may
be admitted in lieu of oral testimony
the and that the periods for filing
pleadings shall be non-extendible.