B.P.

129

B.P. 129
COURT OF APPEALS

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 quasijudicial 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

B.P. 129

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

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

B.P. 129
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.

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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.

METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT

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

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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,

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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 counteraffidavits may be admitted in lieu of oral
testimony and that the periods for filing
pleadings shall be non-extendible.