Short answer. No. Philippine procedural rules make an exception for cases already pending before the Regional Trial Court: if your counterclaim arose from the same transaction as the plaintiff's original claim, it is compulsory regardless of its amount, even if that amount alone would ordinarily fall within a lower court's jurisdiction.
What the law says
Such a counterclaim must be within the jurisdiction of the court both as to the amount and the nature thereof, except that in an original action before the Regional Trial Court, the counterclaim may be considered compulsory regardless of the amount.
Rule 6, Section 7 — Compulsory counterclaim. Read the full provision →
What the law says
A compulsory counterclaim not raised in the same action is barred, unless otherwise allowed by these Rules.
Rule 6, Section 7 — Compulsory counterclaim. Read the full provision →
The general rule: amount and nature both matter
A compulsory counterclaim is one that arises out of, or is connected with, the same transaction or occurrence as the opposing party's claim, and does not require bringing in third parties the court cannot acquire jurisdiction over. As a general matter, the rule requires such a counterclaim to be within the court's jurisdiction both as to the amount and the nature thereof — meaning if your counterclaim's value is too small or too large for the court hearing the case, it would ordinarily not qualify as compulsory there.
The Regional Trial Court exception
The rule then carves out a specific exception: in an original action already filed before the Regional Trial Court, the counterclaim may be considered compulsory regardless of the amount. So if the plaintiff sued you in the RTC and your counterclaim is connected to that same transaction, the fact that your counterclaim's value would normally belong in a lower-value court does not stop it from being treated as compulsory in that RTC case. The amount limit that applies elsewhere simply does not apply to this situation.
What happens if you don't raise it
Because a compulsory counterclaim is tied to the same transaction as the original claim, the rules also make it risky to leave out. A compulsory counterclaim not raised in the same action is barred, unless the rules allow otherwise — meaning you generally cannot save it for a separate lawsuit later. If your claim against the plaintiff arises from the same events they sued you over, the RTC case is very likely where it needs to be raised, not a smaller claim you file afterward.
Why this exception matters practically
Splitting one dispute into two lawsuits — the plaintiff's claim in the RTC and your related claim somewhere else — wastes the court's time and risks inconsistent rulings on facts that overlap. Treating a connected counterclaim as compulsory in the RTC, no matter its peso value, keeps the whole dispute in one proceeding. It also means you should check early whether your claim is genuinely connected to theirs, since that connection — not the amount — is what decides whether it belongs in the same case.