1. Violations of city or municipal ordinances committed within their respective territorial jurisdictions
2. All offenses punishable with imprisonment not exceeding six (6) years (1) irrespective of the amount of the fine, and (2) 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
3. Offenses involving damage to property through criminal negligence regardless of the value of the property.
4. Crimes Punishable by Destierro.
5. In the absence of all Regional Trial Court Judges in a province or city, any Metropolitan Trial Judge, Municipal Trial Judge, and 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.
● A municipal trial court has jurisdiction over a case of simple seduction (Art. 338, RPC), as amended, with arresto mayor, regardless of the civil liability, such as the support and acknowledgment of the offspring that may be imposed under Article 345 of the same Code.
● Impossable accessory penalties that should not be considered in determining jurisdiction of MTCs refer to the accessory penalties accompanying:
- pricion correccional
- arresto menor
- confiscation and forfeiture of the proceeds and instruments of the crime prescribed in Article 45 of the Revised Penal Code
● Where the offense charge is within the exclusive competence of the Municipal Trial Court by reason of the penalty (imprisonment, etc.) it shall have jurisdiction to try and decide the case, even if the civil liability (such as actual, compensatory, etc.) claimed exceeds its civil jurisdiction.
● Where the imposable penalty is destierro such as that imposed in the case of concubinage in the crime of concubinage as defined in Article 334 of the Revised Penal Code, the case falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Municipal Trial Court, considering that in the hierarchy of penalties under Article 71 of the Revised Penal Code, destierro follows arresto mayor which involves imprisonment.
Source: Criminal Procedure by Diosdado Peralta, Handbook for Judges
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