Article 72p. 72

SPECIAL RULES OF PROCEDURE SUPPLEMENT TO THE RULES OF COURT

and his appointment shall state branch of the court

and the seat thereof to which he shall be originally

assigned. A Metropolitan Trial Judge may be assigned

by the Supreme Court to any branch within said

metropolitan area as the interest of justice may require,

and

such

assignment

shall

not

be

deemed

an

assignment to another station within the meaning of

this section.

Section 29. Municipal Trial Courts in cities. – In every

city which does not form part of a metropolitan area,

there shall be a Municipal Trial Court with one branch,

except as hereunder provided:

Two branches for Laoag City;

Four branches for Baguio City;

Three branches for Dagupan City;

Five branches for Olongapo City;

Three branches for Cabanatuan City;

Two branches for San Jose City;

Three branches for Angelen City;

Two branches for Cavite City;

Two branches for Batangas City;

Three branches for San Pablo City; (RA 9252)

Three branches for Lipa City; (RA 9276)

Two branches for Lucena City;

Three branches for Naga City;

Two branches for Iriga City;

Three branches for Legaspi City;

Four branches for Roxas City; (RA 9274)

Ten branches for Iloilo City; (RA 9306)

Seven branches for Bacolod City;

Two branches for Dumaguete City;

Two branches for Tacloban City;

Eight branches for Cebu City;

Three branches for Mandaue City;

Four branches for Tagbilaran City; (RA 9309)

Two branches for Surigao City;

Four branches for Butuan City; (RA 9310)

Five branches for Cagayan de Oro City;

Seven branches for Davao City;

Three branches for General Santos City;

Two branches for Oroquieta City;

Three branches for Ozamis City;

Two branches for Dipolog City;

Four branches for Zamboanga City;

Two branches for Pagadian City;

Five branches for Iligan City (RA 9305)

Three branches for Calamba City. (RA 9308)

Two branches for the Talisay City, Cebu (RA 9375)

Five branches for Antipolo City (RA 9377[5], 10568[5])

Three branches for the City of San Jose del Monte,

Bulacan (RA 9450)

Three branches for the Province of Palawan to be

stationed at Puerto Princesa City (RA 10253)

Seven branches for Cagayan De Oro City; (RA 10254)

Fourteen branches for Cebu City (RA 10570)

Three branches for Lapu-Lapu City (RA 10578)

One branch for the City of Mabalacat, Pampanga (RA

10694)

Six branches for Baguio City (RA 10696)

Section 30. Municipal Trial Courts. – In each of the

municipalities

that

are

not

comprised

within

a

metropolitan area and a municipal circuit there shall be

a Municipal Trial Court which shall have one branch,

except as hereunder provided:

Two branches for San Fernando, La Union;

Four branches for Tuguegarao;

Three branches for Lallo, and two branches for Aparri,

both of Cagayan;

Two branches for Santiago, Isabela;

Two

branches

each

for

Malolos,

Meycauayan

and

Bulacan, all of Bulacan Province;

Four branches for San Fernando and two branches for

Guagua, both of Pampanga;

Two branches for Tarlac, Tarlac;

Two branches for San Pedro, Laguna; and

Two branches each for Antipolo and Binangonan, both

in Rizal.

Two branches for Daet, Camarines Norte; (RA 9449)

Two branches for Bacoor, Cavite; (RA 10454)

Three branches for Imus City, Cavite; (RA 10454)

Three branches for Dasmariñas City, Cavite (RA 10454)

One branch for Carmona, Cavite (RA 10705)

One branch for General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite (RA

10705)

Section 31. Municipal Circuit Trial Court. – There shall

be a Municipal Circuit Trial Court in each area defined

as a municipal circuit, comprising one or more cities

and/or one or more municipalities. The municipalities

comprising

municipal

circuits

as

organized

under

Administrative Order No. 33, issued on June 13, 1978 by

the Supreme Court pursuant to Presidential Decree No.

537, are hereby constituted as municipal circuits for

purposes of the establishment of the Municipal Circuit

Trial Courts, and the appointment thereto of Municipal

Circuit

Trial

Judges:

Provided,

however ,

That

the

Supreme Court may, as the interests of justice may

require, further reorganize the said courts taking into

account workload, geographical location, and such

other factors as will contribute to a rational allocation

thereof,

pursuant

to

the

provisions of Presidential

Decree No. 537 which shall be applicable insofar as they

are not inconsistent with this Act.

Every Municipal Circuit Trial Judge shall be appointed

to a municipal circuit which shall be his official station.

The

Supreme

Court

shall

determine

the

city

or

municipality where the Municipal Circuit Trial Court

shall hold sessions.

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 33. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts,

Municipal

Trial

Courts

and

Municipal Circuit Trial

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