G.R. No. 43589; July 30, 1937
AMANDO UY, ET AL., plaintiffs-appellants, vs. MARIA VILLAFRANCA, defendant-appellee.

FACTS

Plaintiffs commenced an action in the justice of the peace court to recover a sum of money. After judgment for the plaintiffs, the defendant appealed to the Court of First Instance (CFI). In the CFI, the defendant filed an amended answer containing a counterclaim exceeding the original claim. The plaintiffs objected to this amendment, but the CFI overruled the objection, heard the case, and ultimately rendered judgment in favor of the defendant on her counterclaim. The plaintiffs appealed directly to the Supreme Court.

ISSUE

Whether the case involves a question of jurisdiction that justifies a direct appeal to the Supreme Court under the applicable procedural law (Section 138(3) of the Administrative Code, as amended).

RULING

No. The Supreme Court held that the case does not involve a real and substantial issue regarding the jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance. The CFI had already acquired jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter upon appeal from the inferior court. The allowance of the amended answer with a counterclaim, even if erroneous, was merely an error of law and did not put the CFI’s jurisdiction in issue. Consequently, the direct appeal to the Supreme Court was improper. The case was ordered remanded to the Court of Appeals for proper proceedings.

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