BP 129 (1981) AS AMENDED BY RA 7691 — AN ACT REORGANIZING THE JUDICIARY, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR

OTHER PURPOSES
Section 20. Jurisdiction in criminal cases. – Regional Trial Courts shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction in all criminal cases not
within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court, tribunal or body, except those now falling under the exclusive and concurrent jurisdiction of
the Sandiganbayan which shall hereafter be exclusively taken cognizance of by the latter.

Section 23. Special jurisdiction to try special cases. – The Supreme Court may designate certain branches of the Regional Trial Courts
to handle exclusively criminal cases, juvenile and domestic relations cases, agrarian cases, urban land reform cases which do not fall
under the jurisdiction of quasi-judicial bodies and agencies, and/or such other special cases as the Supreme Court may determine in
the interest of a speedy and efficient administration of justice.

Section 32. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts in criminal cases. –
Except in cases falling within the exclusive original jurisdiction of Regional Trial Courts and of the
Sandiganbayan, the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise:
(1) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all violations of city or municipal ordinances committed within their respective territorial
jurisdiction; and
(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over all offenses punishable with imprisonment not exceeding six (6) years irrespective of the amount
of fine, and regardless of other imposable accessory or other penalties, including the civil liability arising from such offenses or
predicated thereon, irrespective of kind, nature, value, or amount thereof: Provided, however, That in offenses involving damage to
property through criminal negligence they shall have exclusive original jurisdiction thereof. (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.

Section 18. Authority to define territory appurtenant to each branch. – The Supreme Court shall define the territory over which a branch
of the Regional Trial Court shall exercise its authority. The territory thus defined shall be deemed to be the territorial area of the branch
concerned for purposes of determining the venue of all suits, proceedings or actions, whether civil or criminal, as well as determining
the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts over the said branch may exercise appellate
jurisdiction. The power herein granted shall be exercised with a view to making the courts readily accessible to the people of the
different parts of the region and making the attendance of litigants and witnesses as inexpensive as possible.

1991 REVISED RULES OF 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: XXXXX B. Criminal Cases:
(1) Violations of traffic laws, rules and regulations;
(2) Violations of the rental law;
(3) Violations of municipal or city ordinances;
(4) All other criminal cases where the penalty prescribed by law for the offense charged is imprisonment not exceeding six
months, or a fine not exceeding (P1,000.00), or both, irrespective of other imposable penalties, accessory or otherwise, or of the
civil liability arising therefrom: Provided, however, that in offenses involving damage to property through criminal negligence, this
Rule shall govern where the imposable fine does not exceed ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00).
This Rule shall not apply to a civil case where the plaintiffs cause of action is pleaded in the same complaint with another cause of
action subject to the ordinary procedure; nor to a criminal case where the offense charged is necessarily related to another criminal
case subject to the ordinary procedure.

REVISED PENAL CODE

Article 360. Persons responsible. -XXXXXXXX