Subject matter jurisdiction of courts in civil cases

Specific courts can take cognizance only of certain types of cases. This means that each court level has a specific set of subjects that come within its jurisdiction.

Earlier, we discussed that courts have exclusive jurisdiction, original jurisdiction, and concurrent jurisdiction. Familiarize yourselves with these distinctions in the post on Philippine courts: definition, classifications, and principles.

For now, here is an enumeration of specific subjects that fall within the jurisdiction of courts in civil cases:

Supreme Court

• Original exclusive

• Certiorari, prohibition, mandamus against the Court of Appeals, Commission on Elections, Commission on Audit, and Court of Tax Appeals

• Disciplinary proceedings against members of the judiciary and attorneys

• Original concurrent

• Certiorari, prohibition, mandamus against the Regional Trial Court, Civil Service Commission, Central Board of Assessment Appeals, National Labor Relations Commission, other quasi-judicial agencies

• Concurrent original jurisdiction

• Certiorari, prohibition, mandamus against lower courts and bodies, concurrently with Court of Appeals and Regional Trial Courts

• Quo warranto, habeas corpus, amparo, habeas data petitions concurrently with CA and RTC

• Cases affecting ambassadors, public ministers and consuls, concurrently with RTC

• Appellate jurisdiction

• Decisions of the CA and RTC on pure questions of law through petitions for review on certiorari also known as appeal by certiorari

• Cases involving the constitutionality or validity of a law, treaty, international or executive agreement, ordinance or regulation

Court of Appeals

• Original exclusive 

• Actions for annulment of judgment of RTCs 

• Original concurrent 

• Certiorari, prohibition, mandamus against RTC, CSC, other quasi-judicial agencies under Rule 43, NLRC [concurrent with the SC] 

•  Certiorari, prohibition, mandamus against lower courts and bodies [concurrent with the SC and RTC] 

• Exclusive appellate jurisdiction 

• Decisions of RTC and Family Courts [by way of ordinary appeal] 

• Decisions of RTC in the exercise of its appellate jurisdiction [by way of petition for review] 

• Decisions, resolutions, orders or awards of the CSC and other agencies mentioned in Rule 43 [by way of petition for review] 

• Appellate jurisdiction 

• Decisions of Municipal Trial Courts in cadastral or land registration cases pursuant to its delegated jurisdicion

Regional Trial Court

• All civil actions in which the subject is incapable of pecuniary estimation

• All civil actions involving title to, possession or, real property or interest therein where the assessed value of the property exceeds Php400,000 (RA 11576) except forcible entry and unlawful detainer cases which come within the exclusive original jurisdiction of the MTC

• All actions in admiralty and maritime jurisdiction in which the demand or claim exceeds Php2,000,000

• All matters of probate, testate and intestate, where the gross value of the estate exceeds Php2,000,000

• All actions involving marriage and marital relations (These come within the jurisdiction of Family Courts under RA 8369 but if there are none, these cases shall be within the cognizance of RTCs)

• Cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court, tribunal, person or body exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functions

• Cases in which the demand exclusive of interest, damages, attorney's fees, litigation expenses and costs exceed Php2,000,000

Family Courts

• Petitions for guardianship, custody of children, habeas corpus in relation to the latter;

• Petitions for adoption of children and the revocation thereof;

• 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;

• Petitions for support and/or acknowledgment;

• Summary judicial proceedings brought under the provisions of Executive Order No. 209, otherwise known as the “Family Code of the Philippines”;

• Petitions for declaration of status of children as abandoned, dependent or 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;

• Petitions for the constitution of the family home;

• 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

• Cases of domestic violence against:

• 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

• 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 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.

Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts

Exclusive original jurisdiction

• 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 demand does not exceed Two million pesos (P2,000,000) exclusive of interest, damages and whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses, and costs, the amount of which must be alleged. 

• 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. 

• 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 any interest therein does not exceed Four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000,00) exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses and costs; Provided, That in cases of land not declared for taxation purposes, the value of such property shall be determined by the assessed value of the adjacent lots. 

• Exclusive original jurisdiction in admiralty and maritime actions where the demand or claim does not exceed Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00).

Delegated jurisdiction

• Cadastral or land registration cases covering lots where there is no controversy or opposition, or contested lots where the value does not exceed One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.), 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.

Special jurisdiction

• In the absence of all the RTC 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 RTC judges sit.

Summary procedure 

(a) Forcible entry and unlawful detainer cases, regardless of the amount of damages or unpaid rentals sought to be recovered. Where attorney’s fees are awarded, the same shall not exceed One Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱100,000.00).

(b) All civil actions, except probate proceedings, admiralty and maritime actions, and small claims cases falling under Rule IV hereof, where the total amount of the plaintiff ’s claim does not exceed Two Million Pesos (₱2,000,000.00), exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney’s fees, litigation expenses and costs.

(c) Complaints for damages where the claim does not exceed Two Million Pesos (₱2,000,000.00), exclusive of interest and costs.

(d) Cases for enforcement of barangay amicable settlement agreements and arbitration awards where the money claim exceeds One Million Pesos (₱1,000,000.00), provided that no execution has been enforced by the barangay within six (6) months from the date of the settlement or date of receipt of the award or from the date the obligation stipulated or adjudged in the arbitration award becomes due and demandable, pursuant to Section 417, Chapter VII of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as The Local Government Code of 1991. 

(e) Cases solely for the revival of judgment of any Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Municipal Trial Court, and Municipal Circuit Trial Court, pursuant to Rule 39, Section 6 of the Rules of Court. 

(f) The civil aspect of a violation of Batas Pambansa Blg. 22 (the Bouncing Checks Law), if no criminal action has been instituted therefor. Should a criminal action be later instituted for the same violation, the civil aspect shall be consolidated with the criminal action and shall be tried and decided jointly under the Rule on Summary Procedure. All other cases not included herein shall be governed by the regular rules of procedure. 

Small Claims Cases

• The claim does not exceed One Million Pesos (₱1,000,000.00), exclusive of interest and costs. 
• A “small claim” is an action that is purely civil in nature where the claim or relief raised by the plaintiff is solely for the payment or reimbursement of a sum of money. It excludes actions seeking other claims or reliefs aside from payment or reimbursement of a sum of money and those coupled with provisional remedies. 
• The claim or demand may be: 

(a) For money owed under any of the following:

1. Contract of Lease;

2. Contract of Loan and other credit accommodations;

3. Contract of Services; or

4. Contract of Sale of personal property, excluding the recovery of the personal property, unless it is made the subject of a compromise agreement between the parties.

 (b) The enforcement of barangay amicable settlement agreements and arbitration awards, where the money claim does not exceed One Million Pesos (₱1,000,000.00), provided that no execution has been enforced by the barangay within six (6) months from the date of the settlement or date of receipt of the award or from the date the obligation stipulated or adjudged in the arbitration award becomes due and demandable, pursuant to Section 417, Chapter VII of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as The Local Government Code of 1991. B

Barangay conciliation

Though not courts under our judicial system, you should know the jurisdiction of the Lupang Tagapaya which conducts barangay conciliation proceedings as a condition precedent for the filing of certain cases in court.

The Guidelines on the Katarungan Pambarangay Conciliation Procedure to Prevent Circumvention of the Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law (Sec. 399 to 422, Chapter VII, Title I, Book III, RA 7160 [The Local Government Code of 1991] provides that prior recourse thereto is a pre-condition before filing a complaint in court or any government offices except in the following disputes:

1. Where one party is the government, or any subdivision or instrumentality thereof;

2. Where one party is a public officer or employee, and the dispute relates to the performance of his official functions;

3. Where the dispute involves real properties located in different cities and municipalities, unless the parties thereto agree to submit their difference to amicable settlement by an appropriate Lupon;

4. Any complaint by or against corporations, partnership or juridical entities, since only individuals shall be parties to Barangay conciliation proceedings either as complainants or respondents (Sec. 1, Rule VI, Katarungang Pambarangay Rules);

5. Disputes involving parties who actually reside in barangays of different cities or municipalities, except where such barangay units adjoin each other and the parties thereto agree to submit their differences to amicable settlement by an appropriate Lupon;

6. Offenses for which the law prescribes a maximum penalty of imprisonment exceeding one (1) year or a fine over five thousand pesos (P5,000.00);

7. Offenses where there is no private offended party;

8. Disputes where urgent legal action is necessary to prevent injustice from being committed or further continued, specifically the following:

a. Criminal cases where accused is under police custody or detention (see Sec. 412 (b) (1), Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law);

b. Petitions for habeas corpus by a person illegally deprived of his rightful custody over another or a person illegally deprived or on acting in his behalf;

c. Actions coupled with provisional remedies such as preliminary injunction, attachment, delivery of personal property and support during the pendency of the action; and

d. Actions which may be barred by the Statute of Limitations.

9. Any class of disputes which the President may determine in the interest of justice or upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice;

10. Where the dispute arises from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) (Sec. 46 & 47, R.A. 6657);

11. Labor disputes or controversies arising from employer-employee relations (Montoya vs. Escayo, et al., 171 SCRA 442; Art. 226, Labor Code, as amended, which grants original and exclusive jurisdiction over conciliation and mediation of disputes, grievances or problems to certain offices of the Department of Labor and Employment);

12. Actions to annul judgment upon a compromise which may be filed directly in court (See Sanchez vs. Tupaz, 158 SCRA 459).