Republic of the Philippines

Congress of the Philippines

Second Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-sixth

[REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7691]

AN ACT EXPANDING THE JURISDICTION OF THE METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICI

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

SECTION 1. Section 19 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise known as the “Judiciary Reorganization
of 1980”, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 19. 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, w
the assessed value of the property involved exceeds Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000,00) or, for
actions in Metro Manila, where such value exceeds Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) except actions
forcible entry into and unlawful detainer of lands or buildings, original jurisdiction over which is confe
upon the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts;

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

“(4) In all matters of probate, both testate and intestate, where the gross value of the estate exceeds
hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) or, in probate matters in Metro Manila, where such gross v
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 exerc
jurisdiction of 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 Juve
and Domestic Relations Court and of the Court 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 f
litigation expenses, and costs or the value of the property in controversy exceeds One hundred thous
pesos (P100,000.00) or, in such other cases in Metro Manila, where the demand exclusive of
abovementioned items exceeds Two Hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00).”

SEC. 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 Trial Co
in Criminal Cases. – Except in cases falling within the exclusive original jurisdiction of Regional Trial Co
and of the Sandiganbayan, the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit
Courts shall exercise:

“(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all violations of city or municipal ordinances committed within
respective territorial jurisdiction; and

“(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all offenses punishable with imprisonment not exceeding six
years irrespective of the amount of fine, and regardless of other imposable accessory or other pena
including the civil liability arising from such offenses or predicated thereon, irrespective of kind, na
value or amount thereof: Provided, however, That in offenses involving damage to property through crim
negligence, they shall have exclusive original jurisdiction thereof.”

SEC. 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 Trial Co
in Civil Cases. – Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts s
exercise:

“(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over civil actions and probate proceedings, testate and intestate, inclu
the grant of provisional remedies in proper cases, where the value of the personal property, estate
where such personal property, estate, or amount of the demand does not exceed Two hundred thous
pesos (P200,000.00), exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney’s fees, litigation expen
and costs, the amount of which must be specifically alleged: Provided, That interest, damages of what
kind, attorney’s fees, litigation expenses, and costs shall be included in the determination of the f
fees:  Provided, further, That where there are several claims or causes of actions between the sam
different parties, embodied in the same complaint, the amount of the demand shall be the totality of
claims in all the causes of action, irrespective of whether the causes of action arose out of the sam
different transactions;

“(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over cases of forcible entry and unlawful detainer: Provided, That whe
such cases, the defendant raises the questions of ownership in his pleadings and the questio
possession cannot be resolved without deciding the issue of ownership, the issue of ownership sha
resolved only to determine the issue of possession; and

“(3) Exclusive original jurisdiction in all civil actions which involve title to, or possession of, real propert
any interest therein where the assessed value of the property or interest therein does not exceed Tw
thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or, in civil actions in Metro Manila, where such assessed value does
exceed Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney’s f
litigation expenses and costs: Provided, That in cases of land not declared for taxation purposes, the v
of such property shall be determined by the assessed value of the adjacent lots.”

SEC 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 Co
Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts may be assigned by the Supreme Court to
and determine cadastral or land registration cases covering lots where there is no controversy or opposi
or contested lots where the value of which 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 claiman
there are more than one, or from the corresponding tax declaration of the real property. Their decision
these cases shall be appealable in the same manner as decisions of the Regional Trial Courts.”

SEC. 5. After five (5) years from the effectivity of this Act, the jurisdictional amounts mentioned in
19(3), (4), and (8); and Sec. 33(1) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 as amended by this Act, shall be adjuste
Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00). Five (5) years thereafter, such jurisdictional amounts sha
adjusted further to Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00): Provided, however, That in the cas
Metro Manila, the abovementioned jurisdictional amounts shall be adjusted after five (5) years from
effectivity of this Act to Four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00).

SEC. 6. All laws, decrees, and orders inconsistent with the provisions of this Act shall be consid
amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. The provisions of this Act shall apply to all civil cases that have not yet reached the pre-trial st
However, by agreement of all the parties, civil cases cognizable by municipal and metropolitan courts by
provisions of this Act may be transferred from the Regional Trial Courts to the latter. The executive judg
the appropriate Regional Trial Courts shall define the administrative procedure of transferring the ca
affected by the redefinition of jurisdiction to the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts,
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts.

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

Approved,