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Ninth Congress

Republic Act No. 7691             March 25, 1994

AN ACT EXPANDING THE JURISDICTION OF THE METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL C
MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA, BLG. 129,
KNOWN AS THE "JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980"

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assemble

Section 1. Section 19 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise known as the "Judiciary Reorganization Act of 198
amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 19. Jurisdiction in civil cases. – Regional Trial Courts shall exercise exclusive original jurisdi

"(1) In all civil actions in which the subject of the litigation is incapable of pecuniary estima

"(2) In all civil actions which involve the title to, or possession of, real property, or any inter
where the assessed value of the property involved exceeds Twenty thousand pesos (P20
civil actions in Metro Manila, where such value exceeds Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00
for forcible entry into and unlawful detainer of lands or buildings, original jurisdiction over w
conferred upon the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit

"(3) In all actions in admiralty and maritime jurisdiction where the demand or claim exceed
thousand pesos (P100,000.00) or, in Metro Manila, where such demand or claim exceeds
thousand pesos (P200,000.00);

"(4) In all matters of probate, both testate and intestate, where the gross value of the estat
hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) or, in probate matters in Metro Manila, where suc
exceeds Two Hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00);

"(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 e
jurisdiction of any court, tribunal, person or body exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functio

"(7) In all civil actions and special proceedings falling within the exclusive original jurisdicti
and Domestic Relations Court and of the Court of Agrarian Relations as now provided by

"(8) In all other cases in which the demand, exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kin
fees, litigation expenses, and costs or the value of the property in controversy exceeds On
thousand pesos (P100,000.00) or, in such other cases in Metro Manila, where the demand
 the abovementioned items exceeds Two Hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00)."

Section 2. Section 32 of the same law is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 32. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Tria
Criminal Cases. – Except in cases falling within the exclusive original jurisdiction of Regional Trial
the Sandiganbayan, the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Tr
exercise:

"(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all violations of city or municipal ordinances commi
respective territorial jurisdiction; and

"(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all offenses punishable with imprisonment not exce
years irrespective of the amount of fine, and regardless of other imposable accessory or o
including the civil liability arising from such offenses or predicated thereon, irrespective of
value or amount thereof: Provided, however, That in offenses involving damage to propert
criminal negligence, they shall have exclusive original jurisdiction thereof."

Section 3. Section 33 of the same law is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 33. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Tria
Cases. – Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall

"(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over civil actions and probate proceedings, testate and i
including the grant of provisional remedies in proper cases, where the value of the person
estate, or amount of the demand does not exceed One hundred thousand pesos (P100,00
Metro Manila where such personal property, estate, or amount of the demand does not ex
hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00), exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind,
litigation expenses, and costs, the amount of which must be specifically alleged: Provided
damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses, and costs shall be include
determination of the filing fees: Provided, further, That where there are several claims or c
actions between the same or different parties, embodied in the same complaint, the amou
demand shall be the totality of the claims in all the causes of action, irrespective of whethe
action arose out of the same or different transactions;

"(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over cases of forcible entry and unlawful detainer: Provid
in such cases, the defendant raises the questions of ownership in his pleadings and the q
possession cannot be resolved without deciding the issue of ownership, the issue of owne
resolved only to determine the issue of possession; and

"(3) Exclusive original jurisdiction in all civil actions which involve title to, or possession of,
or any interest therein where the assessed value of the property or interest therein does n
Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or, in civil actions in Metro Manila, where such asse
does not exceed Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) exclusive of interest, damages of wha
attorney's fees, litigation expenses and costs: Provided, That in cases of land not declared
purposes, the value of such property shall be determined by the assessed value of the ad

Section 4. Section 34 of the same law is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 34. Delegated Jurisdiction in Cadastral and Land Registration Cases. – Metropolitan Trial C
Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts may be assigned by the Supreme Court to hear an
cadastral or land registration cases covering lots where there is no controversy or opposition, or c
where the value of which does not exceed One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), such val
ascertained by the affidavit of the claimant or by agreement of the respective claimants if there are
one, or from the corresponding tax declaration of the real property. Their decisions in these cases
appealable in the same manner as decisions of the Regional Trial Courts."

Section 5. After five (5) years from the effectivity of this Act, the jurisdictional amounts mentioned in Sec. 19(3), (
Sec. 33(1) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 as amended by this Act, shall be adjusted to Two hundred thousand pes
(P200,000.00). Five (5) years thereafter, such jurisdictional amounts shall be adjusted further to Three hundred th
(P300,000.00): Provided, however, That in the case of Metro Manila, the abovementioned jurisdictional amounts
adjusted after five (5) years from the effectivity of this Act to Four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00).

Section 6. All laws, decrees, and orders inconsistent with the provisions of this Act shall be considered amended
accordingly.

Section 7. The provisions of this Act shall apply to all civil cases that have not yet reached the pre-trial stage. Ho
agreement of all the parties, civil cases cognizable by municipal and metropolitan courts by the provisions of this
transferred from the Regional Trial Courts to the latter. The executive judge of the appropriate Regional Trial Cou
the administrative procedure of transferring the cases affected by the redefinition of jurisdiction to the Metropolitan
Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts.

Section 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) n
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved: March 25, 1994

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