SOURCES OF

L AW
CATEGORIES OF LEGAL LITERATURE
• PRIMARY SOURCES

• SECONDARY MATERIALS

• FINDING TOOLS
PRIMARY SOURCES

• Recorded laws and rules

– Statutes } First major primary sources
– Decisions } Second major primary sources
– Regulations and rulings } Third major primary sources
P R I M A RY
SOURCES
The Constitution of the Philippines
ordains that judicial power shall be
vested in one Supreme Court and
such lower courts as may be
established by law. [Section 1, Art.
VIII, 1987 Constitution].
 MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS AND
MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS
Municipal Trial Court if it covers only one municipality

Municipal Circuit Trial Court if it covers two or more municipalities

Polomolok CANJA, ANTONIO GEOFFREY H.

Tampakan (VACANT)
Tupi OCAMPO, GAYDFREDO T.

1st Norala-T’boli-Sto. Niño (VACANT)

2nd Banga-Tantangan (VACANT)
3rd Surallah-Lake Sebu (VACANT)
METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS AND
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS IN CITIES
Metropolitan Trial Courts Municipal Trial Courts in the towns and
cities in the Metropolitan Manila area

Municipal Trial Courts in Cities Municipal Trial Courts in cities outside

Metropolitan Manila

Branch 01 General Santos City

Branch 02 General Santos City
Branch 03 General Santos City
S.S. Koronadal City
REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS
 Established among the thirteen regions in the Philippines consisting of Regions I to
XII and the National Capital Region (NCR).

Branch 22 General Santos City LUBAO, Antonio C.

Branch 23 General Santos City QUITAIN, Jaime V.
Branch 35 General Santos City NOEL, JR., Oscar P.
Branch 36 General Santos City MORAN, Isaac Alvero V.
Branch 37 General Santos City DIZON, JR., Teodoro A.
Branch 24 Koronadal City DINOPOL, Oscar E. RTCJ-695
Branch 25 Koronadal City ALZATE, Laureano Timbreza
Branch 26 Surallah AYCO, Roberto L.
Branch 39 Polomolok ROJAS, Eddie R.
SHARI'A COURTS
• Where the Muslim Code on Personal Laws is being enforced

• Equivalent to the Regional Trial Courts in rank are the Shari'a District Courts which were established
in certain specified provinces in Mindanao.
• Equivalent to the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts are the Shari'a Circuit Courts which were
established in certain municipalities in Mindanao.

• There are five Shari'a District Courts and fifty one Shari'a Circuit Courts

SHARI'A DISTRICT COURTS SULTAN KUDARAT

1st District- Jolo, Sulu (VACANT)
2nd District- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi (VACANT)
3rd District- Zamboanga City (VACANT)
4th District- Marawi City (VACANT)
5th District- Cotabato City (VACANT)
8th SCC - Tacurong-Sultan Sa Barongis MAMATON, NACIO M.
9th SCC - Isulan-Esperanza-Bagumbayan MAULANA,
CAMLON Z.
10th SCC-Lebak-Sultan Kudarat (VACANT)
11th SCC-Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat (VACANT)
COURT OF TAX APPEALS
 A special court composed of a Presiding Judge and two Associate Judges

 Vested with the exclusive appellate jurisdiction over appeals from the decisions of the Commissioner
of Internal Revenue and the Commissioner of Customs on certain specific issues.
SANDIGANBAYAN
 A special court composed of a Presiding Justice and eight Associate Justices

 Has exclusive jurisdiction over violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
[Republic Act No. 3019], the Unexplained Wealth Act [Republic Act No. 1379] and
other crimes or felonies committed by public officials and employees in relation to
their office
SANDIGABAYAN AND OMBUDSMAN
S A N D I G A N B AYA N
 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. (Art. XIII), 1973 Constitution.
 The Sandiganbayan is vested with Appellate
Jurisdiction over final judgments, resolutions or
orders of the RTC whether in the exercise of their
original or appellate jurisdiction over crimes and civil
cases falling within the original exclusive jurisdiction
of the Sandiganbayan but which were committed by
public officers below Salary Grade 27.
O M BU D S M A N
 act promptly on complaints filed in any form or
manner against officers or employees of the
Government, or of any subdivision, agency or
instrumentality thereof, including government-owned
or controlled corporations, and enforce their
administrative, civil and criminal liability in every case
where the evidence warrants in order to promote
efficient service by the Government to the people
 has authority to conduct preliminary investigation
and to prosecute all criminal cases involving public
officers and employees, not only those within the
jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, but also those
within the jurisdiction of the regular courts
COURT OF APPEALS
• composed of one Presiding Justice and sixty eight Associate Justices

• vested with jurisdiction over appeals from the decisions of the Regional Trial Courts and certain
quasi-judicial agencies, boards or commissions.
SUPREME COURT
 the highest Court in the Philippines.

 composed of one Chief Justice and fourteen

Associate Justices

 the final arbiter of any and all judicial

issues. When so deciding, it may sit en banc or
in divisions of three, five or seven members.
SECONDARY MATERIALS
• Publications
 Treatises
 Commentaries
 Encyclopedias
F I N D I N G TO O L S
 Use to locate legal sources

Digest which summarizes

points of law from court
decisions according to a
subject classification

Annotations which summarizes

cases on particular topics