ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OF COURTS Carmela Fojas 

SUPREME COURT COURT OF APPEALS REGIONAL TRIAL COURT MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT
CONCURRENT ORIGINAL: CONCURRENT ORIGINAL: CONCURRENT ORIGINAL: EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL:
1. Petitions for certiorari, prohibition, 1. Writs of mandamus, prohibition, 1. Writs of certiorari, prohibition, 1. Civil actions and probate proceedings,
mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas certiorari, habeas corpus, and quo mandamus, quo warranto, habeas testate and intestate, including grant of
corpus (Consti A8 S5)  SC/CA/RTC warranto, and auxiliary writs or corpus [and injunction – exclusive provisional remedies, where the value
2. Cases affecting ambassadors, other processes, WON in aid of its appellate original to RTC] which may be of the personal property/estate/
public ministers and consuls (Consti A8 jurisdiction (BP 129 S9)  SC/CA/RTC enforced in any part of their respective demand does not exceed P100,000
A5)  SC/RTC 2. Petitions for writ of kalikasan  SC/CA regions (BP 129 S21)  SC/CA/RTC (MM – P200,000) exclusive of interest
3. Petitions for writ of kalikasan  SC/CA 3. Petitions for writ of amparo and 2. Actions affecting ambassadors, other damages, costs, etc.
4. Petitions for writ of amparo and habeas data  SC/CA/RTC/SB public ministers and consuls (BP 129 2. Forcible entry and unlawful detainer
habeas data  SC/CA/RTC/SB S21)  SC/RTC - If the defendant raises question of
3. Petitions for writ of amparo and ownership and the question of
 Concurrent with SC and CA  Concurrent with SC and CA habeas data  SC/CA/RTC/SB possession cannot be resolved
 Petitions for certiorari, prohibition,  Petitions for certiorari, prohibition, w/o deciding the question of
and mandamus against: and mandamus against: EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL: ownership, the issue of ownership
a) RTCs a) RTCs 4. Writ of injunction (BP 129 S21(1)) shall be resolved only to
b) Civil Service Commission b) Civil Service Commission 5. Civil actions in which the subject is determine the issue of possession
c) Quasi-judicial agencies c) Quasi-judicial agencies incapable of pecuniary estimation (BP 129 S33)
d) Labor cases from NLRC d) Labor cases from NLRC 6. Civil actions which involve the title to, 3. Civil actions which involve title to, or
 via Rule 65, but should be  via Rule 65, but should be or possession of, real property or any possession of, real property, where the
initially filed with CA in strict initially filed with CA in strict interest therein, where the assessed assessed value does not exceed
observance of the doctrine on the observance of the doctrine on the value of the property involved exceeds P20,000 (MM – P50,000)
hierarchy of courts (St. Martin hierarchy of courts (St. Martin P20,000 (Metro Manila – P50,000) - Value of the property shall be
Funeral Homes v. NLRC) Funeral Homes v. NLRC) 7. Actions in admiralty and maritime determined by the assessed value
jurisdiction where demand/claim of the adjacent lots (amended by
EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL: EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL: exceeds P300,000 (MM – P400,000) RA 7691)
5. Sole judge of all contests relating to the e) Actions for annulment of judgments of 8. Matters of probate, both testate and
election, returns, and qualifications of RTCs (BP 129 S9) intestate, where the gross value of the
the President and Vice-President estate exceeds P300,000 (MM –
(Consti A7 S4) P400,000)
6. Review of sufficiency of factual basis of 9. Actions involving the contract of
the proclamation of martial law or the marriage and marital relations
suspension of the privilege of the writ 10. All cases not within the exclusive
of habeas corpus (Consti A7 S18) jurisdiction of any court, tribunal,
7. Decisions, orders, and rulings of person, or body exercising judicial or
- Commission on Audit quasi-judicial functions
- Commission on Elections 11. All civil actions and special
- Commission on Appointments proceedings falling within the exclusive
- Court of Tax Appeals original jurisdiction of
 via Rule 65 (Consti A9-A S7) a) Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Court
b) Courts of Agrarian Relations (BP  RTC-MTC LIMITS:
129 S19) a) P20,000/P50,000
12. All other cases in which the value of the - Real property, title to or
property exceeds P300,000 or the possession thereof
demand (exclusive of interest), b) P300,000/P400,000
damages, attorney’s fees, litigation - Personal property
expenses, and costs or the value of the - Estate
property in controversy exceeds - Demand/claim
P400,000 (amended by RA 7691)
 APPELLATE, SPECIAL, DELEGATED JURISDICTION OF COURTS
SUPREME COURT COURT OF APPEALS REGIONAL TRIAL COURT MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT
APPELLATE: APPELLATE: APPELLATE: DELEGATED:
8. CA decisions f) All final judgments, resolutions, orders, 13. All cases decided by: d) May be assigned by SC to hear and
9. RTC decisions on pure questions of law or awards of: a) Metropolitan Trial Courts determine cadastral or land
10. CTA decisions rendered en banc a) RTCs b) Municipal Trial Courts registration cases, covering lots with no
11. Sandiganbayan decisions b) Quasi-judicial agencies (listed in c) Municipal Circuit Trial Courts controversy or opposition, or contested
Rule 43, S1) in their respective territorial lots where the value does not exceed
c) This appellate jurisdiction applies: c) Instrumentalities, boards, or jurisdictions (BP 129 S22) P100,000 (BP 129 S34)
 In cases involving: commissions
a) Constitutionality or validity of d) Securities and Exchange SPECIAL: SPECIAL:
treaty, international or executive Commission 14. SC may designate certain branches of In the absence of all the Regional Trial
agreement, law, presidential e) Social Security Commission RTC to handle exclusively: Judges on a province or city:
decree, proclamation, order, f) Employees Compensation a) Criminal cases e) Petitions for a writ of habeas corpus
instruction, ordinance, or Commission b) Juvenile and domestic relations g) Applications for bail in criminal cases
regulation g) Civil Service Commission (BP 129, cases (BP 129 S35)
b) Legality of tax, impost, S9) c) Agrarian cases
assessment, or toll h) Court of Tax Appeals (Rule 43) d) Urban land reform cases which do h) Summary procedure
c) Cases on jurisdiction of lower i) Labor cases from NLRC not fall under the jurisdiction of i) Small claims
courts  via Rule 65, but should be quasi-judicial bodies and agencies
d) Criminal cases – reclusion initially filed with CA in strict e) Other cases which the SC may
perpetua or higher observance of the doctrine on the determine in the interest of a
e) Error or question of law only hierarchy of courts (St. Martin speedy and efficient
(Consti A8 S5) Funeral Homes v. NLRC) administration of justice (BP 129
S23)
12. Labor cases from NLRC XPN: those falling within the
 via Rule 65, but should be initially jurisdiction of the SC
filed with CA in strict observance of the
doctrine on the hierarchy of courts
(St. Martin Funeral Homes v. NLRC)
 SPECIALIZED COURTS
FAMILY COURT COMMERCIAL COURT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COURT
1. Petitions for guardianship, custody of children, habeas 1. Devices or schemes employed by or any acts, of the 1. Application for the writ of search and seizure in civil
corpus in relation to children board of directors, business associates, its officers or actions for infringement of intellectual property rights
2. Petitions for adoption of children and revocation partnership, amounting to fraud and
thereof misrepresentation which may be detrimental to the
3. Complaints for annulment of marriage, declaration of interest of the public and/or of the stockholders,
nullity of marriage, and those relating to marital partners, members of the associations or
status, property relations of husband and wife or organizations registered with the SEC
those living together under different status and 2. Controversies arising out of intra-corporate or
agreements, and petitions for dissolution of conjugal partnership relations:
partnership of gains a) Between and among stockholders, members or
4. Actions for support and acknowledgment associates
5. Summary judicial proceedings brought under the b) Between any or all of them and the corporation
Family Code c) Between such corporation and the State
6. Petitions for declaration of status of children as 3. Controversies in the election or appointments of
abandoned, dependent or neglected children, petitions directors, trustees, officers, or managers of such
for voluntary or involuntary commitment of children; corporations
the suspension, termination, or restoration of parental 4. Derivative suits
authority, and other cases 5. Inspection of corporate books
7. Petitions for the constitution of the family home
8. Cases of domestic violence against women and
children
9. Petitions for declaration of absolute nullity of void
marriages and annulment of voidable marriages under
the Family Code
10. Petitions for legal separation
11. Provisional and protection orders, hold departure
orders