Section 33.
Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and THE 1991 REVISED RULES ON SUMMARY PROCEDURE
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts in civil cases. – Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial
Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise:
(1) 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 the demand does not exceed One hundred thousand
pesos (P100,000.00) or, in Metro Manila where such personal property, estate, or amount of
the demand does not exceed Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) exclusive of
interest damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses, and costs, the
amount of which must be specifically alleged: Provided, That where there are several claims
or causes of action between the same or different parties, embodied in the same complaint,
the amount of the demand shall be the totality of the claims in all the causes of action,
irrespective of whether the causes of action arose out of the same or different transactions;
(2) 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.
(3) 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 interest therein
does not exceed Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or, in civil actions in Metro Manila,
where such assessed value does not exceed Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) exclusive of
interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses and
costs: Provided, That value of such property shall be determined by the assessed value of
the adjacent lots. (as amended by R.A. No. 7691)
Section 34. Delegated jurisdiction in cadastral and land registration cases. – Metropolitan
Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts may be assigned by the
Supreme Court to hear and determine cadastral or land registration cases covering lots
where there is no controversy or opposition, or contested lots the where the value of which
does not exceed One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), 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. (as amended by R.A. No. 7691)
Section 35. Special jurisdiction in certain cases. – In the absence of all the Regional Trial
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 Regional Trial Judges sit.
Pursuant to section 36 of the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980 (B.P. Blg. 129) and to
achieve an expeditious and inexpensive determination of the cases referred to herein, the
Court resolved to promulgate the following Revised Rules on Summary Procedure:
I. APPLICABILITY
SECTION 1. Scope- This rule shall govern the summary procedure in the Metropolitan Trial
Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, and Municipal Trial
Courts in the following cases falling within their jurisdiction:
A. Civil Cases
(1) All cases of forcible entry and unlawful detainer, irrespective of the amount of damages
and unpaid rentals sought to be recovered. Where attorney’s fees are awarded, the same
shall not exceed 20,000.00
(2) All other cases, except probate proceedings, where the total amount of plaintiff’s claim
does not exceed 100,000.00 or 200,000.00 in Metro Manila, exclusive of interests and costs.
(As amended by A.M. 02-11-09-SC, effective November 25, 2002)
RULE OF PROCEDURE FOR SMALL CLAIMS CASES (A.M. No. 08-8-7-SC – The
Revised Rules of Procedure for Small Claims Cases)
Section 2. Scope. - This Rule shall govern the procedure in actions before the Metropolitan
trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial
Courts for payment of money where the value of the claim does not exceed One Hundred
Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) exclusive of interest and costs.
Section 5. Commencement of Small Claims Action. - A small claims action is commenced by
filing with the court an accomplished and verified Statement of Claim (Form 1 - SCC) in
duplicate, accompanied by a Certification of Non-forum Shopping (Form 1-A,SCC), and two
(2) duly certified photocopies of the actionable document/s subjects of the claim, as well as
the affidavits of witnesses and other evidence to support the claim. No evidence shall be
allowed during the hearing which was not attached to or submitted together with the Claim,
unless good cause is shown for the admission of additional evidence.
No formal pleading, other than the Statement of Claim described in this Rule, is necessary to
initiate a small claims action.