G.R. No. 967 : July 25, 1902
DARIO ELEIZEGUI, ET AL., plaintiffs-appellees, vs. THE MANILA LAWN TENNIS CLUB, defendant-appellant.

FACTS:
The appellees (Dario Eleizegui, et al.) filed a motion to dismiss the appeal taken by the appellant (The Manila Lawn Tennis Club) against a judgment rendered by the Court of First Instance of Manila. The ground for the motion was that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to review the case because it originated from an appeal of a judgment from a justice of the peace court. The appellees contended that the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction did not extend to cases where the Court of First Instance was exercising its appellate jurisdiction over matters appealed from justice courts.

ISSUE:
Whether the Supreme Court has jurisdiction to review a final judgment rendered by a Court of First Instance in a case that was appealed to it from a justice of the peace court.

RULING:
Yes. The Supreme Court held that it has jurisdiction. Under Article 143 of the Code of Civil Procedure of 1901, a party is entitled to perfect a bill of exceptions for a review by the Supreme Court of all final judgments rendered by a Court of First Instance. The law does not impose any limitation or distinction based on whether the case was originally commenced in the Court of First Instance or was brought before it by appeal from a justice court. The effect of an appeal from a justice court to the Court of First Instance, as provided in Articles 74 and 75 of the same Code, is to vacate the lower court’s judgment and have the case tried de novo as if it originated in the Court of First Instance. Therefore, Article 143 confers jurisdiction upon the Supreme Court to review final judgments of the Court of First Instance, whether rendered in the exercise of its original or its appellate jurisdiction. The motion to dismiss the appeal was overruled.