COURT OF APPEALS

Section 9. Jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals shall Exercise:

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, 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 under
Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended, the provisions of this Act, and of
subparagraph (1) of the third paragraph and subparagraph 4 of the fourth paragraph
od 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 cases
falling within its original and appellate jurisdiction, including the power to grant and conduct
new trials or Appeals must be continuous and must be completed within three (3) months,
unless extended by the Chief Justice. (as amended by R.A. No. 7902.)

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.

CHAPTER III
METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS, AND MUNICIPAL
CIRCUIT TRIAL 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)
Section 33. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts in civil cases. Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise:
(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over civil actions and probate proceedings, testate
and intestate, including the grant of provisional remedies in proper cases, where the
value of the personal property, estate, or amount of the demand does not exceed
One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) or, in Metro Manila where such personal
property, estate, or amount of the demand does not exceed Two hundred thousand
pesos (P200,000.00) exclusive of interest damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees,
litigation expenses, and costs, the amount of which must be specifically alleged:
Provided, That where there are several claims or causes of action between the same
or different parties, embodied in the same complaint, the amount of the demand
shall be the totality of the claims in all the causes of action, irrespective of whether
the causes of action arose out of the same or different transactions;
(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over cases of forcible entry and unlawful detainer:
Provided, That when, in such cases, the defendant raises the question of ownership in
his pleadings and the question of possession cannot be resolved without deciding the
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 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)
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 requiring summary disposition as the Supreme Court may determine. The
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 and that the periods for filing pleadings shall be nonextendible.