Short answer. Under Section 10 of RA 9262, you file an application for a TPO or PPO in the trial court, regional, metropolitan, municipal, or municipal circuit, that has jurisdiction over your place of residence. If a family court exists where you reside, you must file it with that family court instead.
What the law says
An application for a TPO or PPO may be filed in the regional trial court, metropolitan trial court, municipal trial court, municipal circuit trial court with territorial jurisdiction over the place of residence of the petitioner: Provided, however, That if a family court exists in the place of residence of the petitioner, the application shall be filed with that court.
RA 9262, Section 10 — Where To Apply. Read the full provision →
Which courts you can go to
A protection order under Republic Act 9262 shields a woman or her child from violence. Section 10 tells you which court to approach for a temporary protection order (TPO) or a permanent protection order (PPO). It provides that An application for a TPO or PPO may be filed in the regional trial court, metropolitan trial court, municipal trial court, municipal circuit trial court. So you are not limited to one level of court; any of these first-level or regional trial courts may entertain the application, which keeps the remedy accessible whether you live in a city or a small municipality. The key is which court has the right territorial reach, explained next.
The venue: where you live
The law fixes venue by the petitioner's home. The court must be the one with territorial jurisdiction over the place of residence of the petitioner. In other words, you file where you reside, not necessarily where the abuser lives or where the abuse happened. This is a deliberate protection: a victim should be able to seek safety close to home, without having to travel to the respondent's territory to do it. For someone who has fled an abusive household, being able to apply in the court covering her own place of residence removes a real practical barrier to getting an order quickly.
Family courts come first
There is an important priority rule. The section adds: Provided, however, That if a family court exists in the place of residence of the petitioner, the application shall be filed with that court. So where a family court has been established in your locality, it is not merely an option, it is the required forum, and the application must go there. Family courts are specialized to handle exactly these sensitive domestic matters. Only where no family court exists in your place of residence do you fall back on the regular trial courts named earlier. Checking whether your area has a family court is therefore a sensible first step.
A different route for barangay orders
It helps to distinguish the barangay protection order (BPO) from these court orders. The same section directs that applications for BPOs follow the barangay venue rules of the Local Government Code and its implementing rules. A BPO is sought at the barangay level and follows the barangay venue rules, whereas a TPO or PPO is a court remedy governed by the residence-based venue above. Knowing which you need, a quick barangay order or a court-issued TPO or PPO, tells you where to go. For court protection, head to the family court, or the trial court, covering where you live.