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The lone issue for our resolution is whether the RTC had
jurisdiction over the action of the petitioners, the plaintiffs in the
RTC, against the private respondent, who was the defendant
therein.
The petitioners maintain that the RTC has jurisdiction since their
action is an accion reinvindicatoria, an action incapable of
pecuniary estimation; thus, regardless of the assessed value of the
subject property, exclusive jurisdiction falls within the said court.
Besides, according to the petitioners, in their opposition to
respondent's motion to dismiss, they made mention of the increase
in the assessed value of the land in question in the amount of P3.5
million. Moreover, the petitioners maintain that their action is also
one for damages exceeding P20,000.00, over which the RTC has
exclusive jurisdiction under R.A. No. 7691.
The petition has no merit.
It bears stressing that the nature of the action and which court has
original and exclusive jurisdiction over the same is determined by
the material allegations of the complaint, the type of relief prayed
for by the plaintiff and the law in effect when the action is filed,
irrespective of whether the plaintiffs are entitled to some or all of
the claims asserted therein.18 The caption of the complaint is not
determinative of the nature of the action. Nor does the jurisdiction
of the court depend upon the answer of the defendant or agreement
of the parties or to the waiver or acquiescence of the parties.
We do not agree with the contention of the petitioners and the
ruling of the CA that the action of the petitioners in the RTC was
an accion reinvindicatoria. We find and so rule that the action of
the petitioners was an accion publiciana, or one for the recovery of
possession of the real property subject matter thereof. An accion