CIRCULAR
NO. 21-99
TO: ALL
JUDGES OF THE REGIONALTRIAL COURTS, THE METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, THE
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS IN CITIES, THE MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS AND THE
MUNICIPAL
CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS.
SUBJECT:
EFFECTIVITY OF THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONI 5 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7691
FURTHER
INCREASING THE JURISDICTIONAL AMOUNTS PRESCRIBED BY CERTAIN PROVISIONS
OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, AS AMENDED.
The provisions of
Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7691 prescribe that "After five years [5]
from the effectivity of this Act, the jurisdictional amounts mentioned
in Sec. 19 (3),[1]
(4),[2]
and (8),[3]
and Sec. 33(1)[4]
of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 as amended by this Act, shall be
adjusted
to Two hundred thousand pesos [P200,000.00]. Five (5)
years thereafter, such jurisdictional amounts shall be adjusted further
to Three hundred thousand pesos [P300,000.00]: Provided,
However, That in the case of Metro Manila, the abovementioned
jurisdictional
amounts shall be adjusted after five [5] years from the effectivity of
this Act to Four hundred thousand pesos [P400,000.00]."
Section 8 of the
same law states that "This Act shall take effect fifteen [15] days
following
its publication in the Official Gazette or in two [2] national
newspapers
of general circulation."
Republic Act No.
7691 was published simultaneously in the 30 March 1994 issues for the
Philippine
Journal and Malaya. The law took effect on 15 April 1994.cralaw:red
Considering the provisions
of Section 31,[5]
Chapter 8 Book I of the 1987 Administrative Code, Section 5 of R. A.
No.
7691 took effect on 20 March 1999.cralaw:red
For information and
guidance.
[Sgd.]
ALFREDO
L. BENIPAYOCourt
Administrator
________________________
Endnotes:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
[1]
Under Section 19 (3) of R.A. No. 7691, the Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise exclusive original jurisdiction "In all actions in admiralty
and
maritime jurisdiction where the demand or claim exceeds One hundred
thousand
pesos [P100,000.00] or in Metro Manila, where such
demand
or claim exceeds Two hundred thousand pesos [P200,000.00]."
[2]
Under Section 19 (4) of R.A. No. 7691, the Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise exclusive original jurisdiction "In all matters of probate,
both
testate and intestate, where the gross value of the estate exceeds One
hundred thousand pesos [P100,000.00] or, in probate
matters
in Metro Manila, where such gross value exceeds Two hundred thousand
pesos.
[P200,000.00]."
[3]
Under Section 19 (4) of R.A. No. 7691, the Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise exclusive original jurisdiction "In all other cases in which
the
demand, exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney’s
fees,
litigation expenses, and costs or the value of the property in
controversy
exceeds One hundred thousand pesos [P100,000.00] or,
in
such other cases in Metro Manila, where the demand, exclusive of the
abovementioned
items, exceeds Two hundred thousand pesos [P200,000.00]."
[4]
Under Section 33 (1) of R.A. No. 7691, the Metropolitan Trial Courts,
the
Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, the Municipal Trial Courts and the
Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise "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 interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney’s
fees, litigation expenses, and costs, the amount of which must be
specifically
alleged: Provided, That interest, damages whatever kind, attorney’s
fees,
litigation expenses, and cost shall be included in the determination of
the filing fees: Provided, further, 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 cause of
action
arose out of the same or different transactions."
[5]
Section 31 prescribes that "'Year' shall be understood to be twelve
calendar
months; 'month' of thirty days, unless it refers to a specific calendar
month in which case, it shall be computed according to the number of
days
the specific month contains; 'day' to a day of twenty four hours; and
'night'
from sunset to sunrise."
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