GR L 10911; (March, 1958) (Digest)
G.R. No. L-10911; March 21, 1958
MANILA BLUE PRINTING CO., INC., plaintiff-appellant, vs. TEACHERS COLLEGE, INC., defendant-appellee.
FACTS
Manila Blue Printing Co., Inc., a corporation doing business in the Philippines, filed a complaint in the Court of First Instance of Manila against Teachers College, Inc., a corporation with its principal office in Tacloban, Leyte. The complaint alleged that in July and August 1952, the defendant purchased merchandise from the plaintiff worth P2,747.72. After a partial payment of P1,200, a balance of P1,547.72 remained unpaid. The plaintiff prayed for judgment ordering the defendant to pay: (1) the principal balance of P1,547.72 with 12% annual interest from September 1952; (2) damages of P500 as attorney’s fees; and (3) costs. The defendant filed a motion to dismiss on the ground that the court lacked jurisdiction over the subject matter because the claim (excluding interest and attorney’s fees) was for less than P2,000. The lower court granted the motion and dismissed the complaint for lack of jurisdiction. The plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration was denied, prompting this appeal.
ISSUE
Whether the Court of First Instance of Manila had jurisdiction over the case, considering the totality of the amount demanded in the complaint’s prayer.
RULING
Yes. The Supreme Court set aside the order of dismissal and remanded the case to the lower court for further proceedings. The Court held that the determinative factor for a court’s jurisdiction in civil cases is the totality of the claim demanded by the plaintiff as alleged in the complaint, particularly in the prayer. In this case, the prayer sought P1,547.72 (principal) plus P500 (attorney’s fees), totaling P2,047.72. Citing precedents such as Tolsa vs. Panlilio, Lim Bing It vs. Ibañez, and Soriano vs. Omila, the Court reiterated that jurisdiction depends on the total amount demanded, not on the value of each separate cause of action or the amount recoverable under the law. Therefore, since the total demand exceeded P2,000, the Court of First Instance had jurisdiction. Costs were awarded against the defendant.