Short answer. A petition for review on certiorari is the only way to take an appeal to the Supreme Court, with one exception: criminal cases where the penalty imposed is death, reclusion perpetua, or life imprisonment, which follow a different mode of appeal.
What the law says
An appeal to the Supreme Court may be taken only by a petition for review on certiorari, except in criminal cases where the penalty imposed is death, reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment.
Rule 56, Section 3 — Mode of appeal. Read the full provision →
One mode of appeal, as a rule
Rule 56, Section 3 narrows the paths available for appealing to the Supreme Court down to a single mode: the petition for review on certiorari. This is a discretionary mode of review, meaning the Supreme Court is not obligated to give it due course the way a lower appellate court might be bound to entertain an ordinary appeal, and it can deny the petition outright without a full-blown decision on the merits.
The exception for the most severe criminal penalties
The section carves out one exception: criminal cases where the penalty imposed is death, reclusion perpetua, or life imprisonment. Given the gravity of those penalties, a different mode of appeal applies to ensure the case reaches the Supreme Court, rather than being screened through the discretionary petition for review process used for other cases, reflecting the heightened stakes involved when a person's life or liberty is at issue at that level.
Why the distinction matters for litigants
Because the general rule limits appeal to a single mode, choosing the wrong vehicle — for example, attempting an ordinary notice of appeal in a case that does not fall within the exception — risks the appeal being dismissed as improper, a consequence addressed in the sections that follow this one. Confirming at the outset whether a case falls within the narrow exception is therefore an essential first step before filing anything with the Supreme Court.
How this fits with the modes available from the RTC
This single-mode rule at the Supreme Court level stands in contrast to the several possible modes of appeal available from a Regional Trial Court, where the correct route depends on whether the RTC acted in its original or appellate jurisdiction. By the time a case reaches the Supreme Court, the Rules narrow that variety down to essentially one discretionary vehicle, reflecting the Court's role as a court of last resort rather than one of routine appellate review. None of this changes the substantive standards the Supreme Court applies once a petition is properly before it; the single-mode rule governs only which door a litigant must use to reach the Court, not how favorably or unfavorably the Court will ultimately view the merits of what is inside the petition.
Related provisions
- Rule 56, Section 3 — Mode of appeal
- Rule 56, Section 4 — Procedure
- Rule 56, Section 6 — Disposition of improper appeal