Cops to secure bar exam center

CEBU, Philippines — A total of 102 police personnel will be deployed by the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to secure the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Basak Campus during the first day of the 2026 Bar Examinations on Sunday, Sept. 6.

The deployment will begin at 4 a.m., with police inspecting areas inside and outside the testing center in coordination with the Supreme Court’s Office of the Judiciary Marshals.

The police will secure the testing venue, examinees, examiners, and other personnel involved in the Bar Examinations.

Personnel from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, Quick Reaction Team (QRT), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), and intelligence units will be part of the deployment.

The USJ-R Basak Campus is the only local testing center (LTC) in Cebu designated by the Supreme Court for this year’s Bar Examinations.

Between 1,200 and 1,300 examinees are registered to take the examinations at the Cebu testing center, which will be held on Sept. 6, 9, and 13.

Other Cebu City Government offices will also provide personnel and equipment to support the examinations.

The City Transportation Office will manage traffic along Natalio Bacalso Ave., while the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will deploy ambulances. The Bureau of Fire Protection will also have a fire truck on standby.

Authorities will enforce a noise restriction and liquor ban within a 100-meter radius of the testing center starting at 12:01 a.m. Sunday until the examinees have left the venue.

The same security measures and restrictions will be implemented on the succeeding examination days.

Police are also preparing for a larger crowd on the final day of the examinations, when relatives, friends, and classmates of the examinees are expected to gather outside the testing center.

Security personnel will remain in the area until the examinees have left the venue. — IHM (CEBU NEWS)