PHILIPPINE COURTS OF
JUSTICE
JUDGE JACINTO M. DELA CRUZ JR.
Executive Judge/Presiding Judge, RTC Branch 81, Asingan, Pangasinan
Assisting Judge, RTC Branch 49, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Former Executive/Presiding Judge, RTC Branch 33, Bauang, La Union
Former Acting Presiding Judge, RTC Branch 53, Rosales, Pangasinan
Former Prosecutor/Director, Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP)-Ombudsman
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What is a COURT?
• Is a tribunal clothed with the
power and authority to entertain
and resolve legal disputes between
the parties to carry out the
dispensation of justice in
accordance with law
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What is a COURT OF LAW?
•Decides a case
according to what the
promulgated law is.
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What is a CIVIL ACTION/CASE?
• It is one by which a party sues
another for the enforcement or
protection of a right, or the
prevention of redress of a
wrong.
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What is a CRIMINAL ACTION/CASE?
•It is one by which the
State prosecutes a person
for an act or omission
punishable by law.
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What is a SPECIAL PROCEEDING?
•Is a remedy by which a
party seeks to establish a
status, a right, or a
particular fact.
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DOCTRINE OF HIERARCHY OF COURTS
• The Court will not entertain direct resort to
it unless the redress desired cannot be
obtained in the appropriate courts or where
exceptional and compelling circumstances
justify availment of a remedy within and
calling for the exercise of primary
jurisdiction.
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COURTS IN THE PHILIPPINE JUDICIAL
HIERARCHY
• First Level Courts
• Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC)
• Municipal Trial Courts in Cities (MTCC)
• Municipal Trial Courts (MTC)
• Municipal Circuit Trial Courts (MCTC)
• Sharia Court
• Second Level Courts
• Regional Trial Courts (RTC)
• Family Courts
• RTCs designated as Commercial Courts, Terrorism Courts, Drugs Court, Cybercrime Courts,
Agrarian Courts, Election Courts
• Sharia District Courts
• Third Level Courts
• Court of Appeals (CA)
• Sandiganbayan (SB)
• Court of Tax Appeals (CTA)
• SUPREME COURT
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Define CRIMINAL JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL JURISDICTION
=is the authority of the court to
hear and try a particular offense
and to impose the punishment
provided by law.
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What are the requisities for a valid exercise of
criminal jurisdiction?
1. The offense is one which the court is by law authorized to take
cognizance of (JURISDICTION OVER THE OFFENSE OR SUBJECT
MATTER);
2. The person charged with the offense must have been brought to its
presence for trial, forcibly by warrant of arrest or upon his voluntary
submission to the court (JURISDICTION OVER THE PERSON OF THE
ACCUSED); and
3. The offense must have been committed within its territorial
jurisdiction (JURISDICTION OVER THE TERRITORY)
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What is VENUE?
= is defined as the place, site or
territory where the crime was
committed. The court cannot take
cognizance of an offense which was not
committed over its territorial
jurisdiction. In short, venue is
jurisdictional in criminal cases.
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How is CRIMINAL JURISDICTION
determined?
Criminal jurisdiction is determined by:
1) The allegations in the complaint or information (upon
the filing of the complaint or information in court) and not by
the results of proof or by the trial court’s appreciation of the
evidence presented (not after the judgment has been
rendered);
2) The law in force at the time of the institution of the
criminal action. This is in consonance with the basic principle
in criminal law that there is no crime where no law punishing
it.
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KATARUNGANG PAMBARANGAY
* first established by PD 1508, promotes and
implements the amicable settlement of disputes at
the barangay level before resorting to filing cases in
court.
* Sections 399 to 422 of RA 7160 (otherwise
known as the Local Government Code of 1991)
superseded PD No. 1508
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KATARUNGANG PAMBARANGAY
NOT COVERED BY THE KP LAW:
1)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);
2) Offenses where there is no private offended party;
3) Criminal cases where accused is under police custody
or detention.
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PHILIPPINE COURTS OF JUSTICE
Outline of the
criminal jurisdiction
of courts
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First Level Courts (MeTC, MTC, MCTC,
MTCC)
Exclusive original jurisdiction
1. Violations of city or municipal ordinances committed within their respective
territorial jurisdictions.
2. Offenses punishable with imprisonment not exceeding 6 years; provided, however,
that in offenses involving damage to property through criminal negligence, they shall have
exclusive original jurisdiction.
3. Offenses punishable by a fine of not more than P50, 000.
4. Violations of B.P Blg.22 or the Bouncing Checks.
5. RIR to Damage to Property under Art.365, RPC, where imposable fine does not
exceed 150 thousand pesos.
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(Second Level Courts/Regional Trial Courts
Exclusive original jurisdiction
1. Criminal cases not falling within the exclusive jurisdiction of any
court, tribunal, or body.
2. Criminal actions or proceedings for violation of the Omnibus
Election Code.
3. Cases of written defamation
4. Criminal actions involving violations of the Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
5. Money-Laundering cases. Those committed by public officers and
private persons who are in conspiracy with such public officers shall be
under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
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RTC’s designated as Family Courts
1. Criminal cases where one or more of the accused is
below 18 years of age but not less than 9 years of age, or
where one or more of the victims is a minor at the time of the
commission of the offense.
2. Cases against minors cognizable under the Dangerous
Drug Act as amended.
3. Violations of R.A No. 7610 or the Child Abuse Act.
4. Cases of domestic violence against women and children.
(Sec. 5, R.A No. 8369).
5. Cases of violence against women and their children
under R.A 9262 (VAWC Act).
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RTC’s designated as Special
Commercial Courts
Actions or proceedings
involving violations of
intellectual property rights
(A.M No. 03-03-03-SC
effective 1 July 2003).
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Appellate jurisdiction
REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS:
Over all cases decided by the
MTC within its territorial
jurisdiction.
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SANDIGANBAYAN JURISDICTION
Original exclusive jurisdiction
1. Violations of the Anti-Graft Law and Chapter 2, Section 2, Title VII, Book II of the Revised Penal
Code, where one or more of the accused are officials occupying the following positions in the government,
whether in a permanent, acting or interim capacity, at the time of the commission of the offense:
2. Officials of the executive branch occupying the positions of the regional director and higher,
otherwise classified as Grade “27” and higher of the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989
(R.A No. 6758), specifically including:
a. Provincial governors, vice-governors, members of the sangguniang panlalawigan, and provincial
treasurers, assessors, engineers, and other provincial department heads;
b. City mayors, vice-mayors, members of the sangguniang panlungsod, city treasurer, assessors,
engineers, and other city department heads;
c. Officials of the diplomatic service occupying the position of consul and higher;
d. Philippine army and air force colonels, naval captains, and all officers of higher ranks;
e. Officers of the PNP while occupying the position of provincial director and those holding rank of
senior superintendent or higher;
f. City and provincial prosecutors and their assistants, and officials and prosecutors in the office of
the Ombudsman and special prosecutor;
g. Presidents directors or trustees, or managers of GOCCs, state universities or educational
institutions or foundations.
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SANDIGANBAYAN JURISDICTION
3. Members of Congress and officials thereof classified as Grade “27” and up under the
Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989;
4. Members of the judiciary without prejudice to the provisions of the Constitution;
5. Chairmen and members of Constitutional Commissions, without prejudice to the
provisions of the Constitutions; and
6. All other national and local officials classified as Grade “27” and higher under the
Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989.
Other offenses or felonies whether simple or complexes with other crimes committed with
other crimes committed by the public officials and employees mentioned in sub-section “a”
of this section in relation to their office.
Civil and criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with Executive Order Nos.
1,2,14 and 14-A, issued in 1986.
In cases where none of the accused are occupying positions corresponding to Salary Grade
27 or higher, or military and PNP officers mentioned above, exclusive original jurisdiction
thereof shall be vested in the proper RTC or MTC as the case may be pursuant to B.P. Blg.
129
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SANDIGANBAYAN APPELLATE
JURISDICTION
Over final judgments, resolutions or
orders of the RTC whether in the
exercise of their own original jurisdiction
or of their appellate jurisdiction as
provided in P.D No. 1606. (P.D No. 1606
as amended by R.A No. 7975 and 8249).
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COURT OF APPEALS
APPELLATE JURISDICTION
Over final judgments,
decisions, resolutions,
orders, or awards of the
RTC and the Family
Court.
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COURT OF TAX APPEALS
Original jurisdiction
Over all criminal offenses arising from violations of the
NIRC, TCC, and other laws administered by the BIR or the
BOC. Provided however that offenses or felonies where the
principal amount of taxes and fees, exclusive of charges and
penalties , claimed is less than P1 million or where there is no
specified amount claimed shall be tried by the regular courts
and the jurisdiction of the CTA shall be appellate.
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COURT OF TAX APPEALS
Appellate Jurisdiction
Over appeals from the judgments,
resolutions or orders of the RTC tax
cases originally decided them.
Over petitions for review of the
judgments, resolutions or orders of the
RTC in the exercise of their appellate
jurisdictions over tax cases decided by
the MTC.
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SUPREME COURT
Appellate Jurisdiction
Over appeals from the
judgments, resolutions or orders
of the Court of Appeals, Court of
Tax Appeals and Sandiganbayan.
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JURISDICTION
CIVIL
CASES
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METC, MTCC, MTC, MCTC
•Serves as SMALL CLAIMS COURT
•For Payment or reimbursement of a sum of money
where the value of the claim does not exceed 1
million pesos
•1 million pesos, exclusive of interests and costs
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METC, MTCC, MTC, MCTC
•Forcible Entry and Unlawful detainer cases regardless of the amount of
damages or unpaid rentals sought to be recovered. If attorney’s fees are
awarded-not to exceed 100k
•All civil actions, except probate proceedings, admiralty and maritime
actions, where the total amount of plaintiff’s claim does not exceed 2
million pesos, exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney’s
fees, litigation expenses and costs
•Recovery of real property with the assessed value of not more than 400k
•Complaints for damages where the claim does not exceed 2 million pesos,
exclusive of interest and costs
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METC, MTCC, MTC, MCTC
• Cases for enforcement of barangay amicable settlement agreements
and arbitration awards where the money claim exceeds 1 million pesos,
provided that no execution has been enforced by the barangay within 6
months from the date of settlement or date of receipt of the award
• Civil Aspect of a violation of Batas Pambansa Blg. 22, 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 under the Rule
on Summary Procedure
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THANK YOU.
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