Court Hierarchy
Only the Supreme Court is established directly by the Constitution. Every other court exists because Congress created it by law. Barangay justice sits below all formal courts and is not itself a court.
Level 4
Supreme Court
Court of last resort
Level 3
Court of Appeals / Sandiganbayan / Court of Tax Appeals
Third-level, equal rank
Level 2
Regional Trial Court / Sharia District Court
Second-level
Level 1
Metropolitan, Municipal & Circuit Trial Courts / Sharia Circuit Court
First-level
Community Level
Barangay Justice (Katarungang Pambarangay)
Community-level conciliation, not a formal court
For the Supreme Court itself, see the Supreme Court guide.
Third-Level Courts
Three courts of equal rank, each with a specialized jurisdiction, sitting directly below the Supreme Court.
Court of Appeals
1 Presiding Justice and 68 Associate Justices, in 23 divisions of 3 members each.
Appellate court for civil and criminal cases not involving government administration. Has original jurisdiction over writs of mandamus, prohibition, injunction, certiorari, and habeas corpus. 17 divisions sit in Manila (Luzon cases), 3 in Cebu City (Visayas), 3 in Cagayan de Oro (Mindanao).
Appeals go to: Supreme Court, on questions of law only
Sandiganbayan
1 Presiding Justice and 14 Associate Justices.
Anti-graft court for cases involving corruption by government officials or GOCC officials, and other office-related crimes. Originally established as the Tanodbayan under the 1973 Constitution. Cases are filed by the Ombudsman.
Appeals go to: Supreme Court
Court of Tax Appeals
1 Presiding Justice and 8 Associate Justices.
Both original jurisdiction and appellate court for tax-related matters.
Appeals go to: Supreme Court
Second-Level Courts
Organized by judicial region, each branch led by a single judge.
Regional Trial Court (RTC)
Original jurisdiction over most criminal matters (except those under Sandiganbayan jurisdiction) and certain civil suits. Multiple branches can exist within the same judicial region, some branches designated for specific case types.
Appeals go to: Court of Appeals
Sharia District Court (ShDC)
Equivalent rank to an RTC. Limited jurisdiction over cases involving Muslims, established under the Code of Muslim Personal Laws (Presidential Decree No. 1083). Present only in judicial regions across Southwest Mindanao.
Appeals go to: Supreme Court (no Sharia Appellate Court has been established)
The Ombudsman & Solicitor General
Two offices tied closely to the court system without being courts themselves.
Office of the Ombudsman
Investigates official corruption and files cases at the Sandiganbayan. Can prosecute all public officials and agencies except the President, who is immune from prosecution while in office.
Selected by the President from a Judicial and Bar Council shortlist, requiring at least 10 years as a judge or lawyer. Serves a single 7-year term with no reappointment, and the appointment does not require legislative confirmation.
Office of the Solicitor General
An independent body that represents the national government in legal proceedings, distinct from both the Ombudsman and the regular court system.
First-Level Courts
Original jurisdiction over minor criminal matters, ordinance violations, certain civil cases, and forcible entry cases. Each court has one judge. Appeals go to the Regional Trial Court.
| Court | Where It Sits |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) | Metro Manila |
| Municipal Trial Court (MTC) | Each municipality |
| Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) | Each city outside Metro Manila |
| Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) | Two or more municipalities sharing a court |
| Sharia Circuit Court (ShCC) | Same rank as MCTC, limited to Muslim personal law cases |
Specialized Regional Courts & Military Courts
Some Regional Trial Court branches are designated to handle specific case types exclusively, rather than a general docket.
Family Courts
Handle cases involving children, including custody, adoption, and juvenile matters.
Heinous Crime Courts
Handle kidnapping, certain forms of robbery, drug crimes, intellectual property violations, and libel.
Environmental Courts
Designated in 2008 to handle environmental cases, working alongside the writ of kalikasan procedures the Supreme Court established in 2010.
Military Courts
Cases involving military personnel are handled by regular civil courts, except where a civil court determines the offense is service-oriented, in which case it goes to court-martial. Under martial law, military courts may try civilians if civilian courts are not functioning.
Quasi-Judicial Bodies
Government agencies that can rule on matters of law within their specific mandate, but hold no actual judicial power. Their decisions are appealed to the Court of Appeals, not directly to the courts above.
This is a partial list. Many national agencies carry limited quasi-judicial authority tied to their specific regulatory function.
Barangay Justice (Katarungang Pambarangay)
The base of the hierarchy, though not a formal court. Many disputes between residents of the same barangay must go through barangay-level conciliation before they can be filed in court at all.
For details on how barangay government functions overall, see the Barangay Government guide.
Judicial Independence
The 1987 Constitution deliberately staggers judicial terms from presidential terms, and created the Judicial and Bar Council to reduce direct political influence over appointments.
The JBC screens nominees, but the President can still appoint roughly half its members, meaning presidential influence over judicial appointments isn't fully removed, only indirect. A 2010 Supreme Court ruling held that the Constitution's ban on midnight appointments in a president's final two months does not apply to judicial appointments, a reversal of earlier rulings. That decision cleared the way for the next Chief Justice appointment to also break with the informal seniority tradition that had held since the end of martial law.
Removal mechanisms differ by circumstance. A Chief Justice can be impeached by the House and tried by the Senate, the mechanism used against Renato Corona in 2012. A justice can also be removed through a quo warranto proceeding, a separate legal challenge to the validity of the appointment itself rather than to conduct in office, the mechanism used against Maria Lourdes Sereno in 2018.
People Also Ask About the Philippine Court System
What is the difference between the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court?
The Court of Appeals is the second-highest court and reviews most civil and criminal cases from Regional Trial Courts. Its decisions can only be further appealed to the Supreme Court, and only on questions of law.
What does the Sandiganbayan handle?
Corruption cases involving government officials or government-owned or controlled corporation officials, along with other office-related crimes. Cases are filed by the Ombudsman.
Who can the Ombudsman prosecute?
Nearly all public officials and government agencies, with one notable exception: the President is immune from Ombudsman prosecution while in office.
What is a first-level court in the Philippines?
Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, the entry point for minor criminal and civil cases, each led by a single judge.
Are Sharia Courts part of the regular court system?
They're a separate system with limited jurisdiction over cases involving Muslims, established under the Code of Muslim Personal Laws. Sharia District Courts rank equal to Regional Trial Courts, present only in judicial regions across Southwest Mindanao.
Do I have to go to barangay conciliation before filing a court case?
For many disputes between residents of the same barangay, yes. The Katarungang Pambarangay system requires an attempt at barangay-level conciliation before certain cases can be filed in a formal court.
Last updated: September 15, 2026. Sources: 1987 Philippine Constitution, Presidential Decree No. 1083 (Code of Muslim Personal Laws), Office of the Court Administrator, Supreme Court of the Philippines. About azifind.com →