Short answer. Yes, but you have to ask for it. Rule 43, Section 5 lets the Court of Appeals grant exemption from docketing and other lawful fees and the cost deposit, upon a verified motion setting out valid grounds. It is not automatic, and if the motion is denied you must still pay within fifteen days.
What the law says
Exemption from payment of docketing and other lawful fees and the deposit for costs may be granted by the Court of Appeals upon a verified motion setting forth valid grounds therefor.
Rule 43, Section 5 — How appeal taken. Read the full provision →
The fees are due when you file
A Rule 43 petition for review normally comes with an upfront cost. Upon the filing of the petition, the petitioner shall pay to the clerk of court of the Court of Appeals the docketing and other lawful fees and deposit the sum of P500.00 for costs. That payment, together with the seven copies of the petition and proof of service, is part of how the appeal is perfected; the fees are not something you settle later in the case.
But exemption is available on motion
If you genuinely cannot afford the fees, the rule builds in a way to ask for relief instead of being shut out. Exemption from payment of docketing and other lawful fees and the deposit for costs may be granted by the Court of Appeals upon a verified motion setting forth valid grounds therefor. The motion has to be verified and has to actually explain, with specifics, why you qualify for exemption; a bare request without grounds is not enough.
What happens if the motion is denied
Asking for exemption does not put your petition on indefinite hold. If the Court of Appeals denies the motion, the petitioner shall pay the docketing and other lawful fees and deposit for costs within fifteen days from notice of the denial. So the safer approach is to file the motion for exemption together with, or very soon after, the petition itself, so you are not caught without a plan if the court says no.
What the rule does not spell out
The text sets the standard as valid grounds shown in a verified motion, but it does not list specific income thresholds, required documents, or an automatic pauper-litigant status that guarantees exemption. Whether your circumstances are enough is left to the Court of Appeals to evaluate motion by motion. If exemption is not granted, the petition itself is not automatically dismissed either, so long as the fees and deposit are paid within the fifteen-day window the rule allows after a denial.