6,344 law graduates to take 2006 Bar starting tomorrow

A total of 6,344 law graduates from 100 law schools nationwide will take the 2006 Bar this month at the De La Salle University in Manila, the Supreme Court (SC) announced yesterday.

Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval Gutierrez will head this year’s committee on the Bar examinations.

The statement said the tests will be administered by 1,398 personnel that will serve as superintendents, supervisors, head watchers, watchers, Bar assistants, and special assistants during the exams, which will be held on the four Sundays of September.

Security will be tightened at the test venue to ensure that the examination would be peaceful and orderly.

"Operatives from the Metro Manila Development Authority, bomb disposal teams, and mobile units from the Manila Police District will be deployed in the area," the SC said.

The SC assured that there will be no leakage of questionnaires nor a repeat of the 2003 mercantile examination scandal in this year’s Bar examinations.

SC spokesman Ismael Khan said that they have taken strict measures to ensure the credibility of the tests.

"We have taken strict measures so there will be zero possibility of a leakage. Neither will we allow a repeat of the leakage in the exams on mercantile law three years ago," Khan said.

Among the precautionary measures is to strictly require handwritten answers without using computers.

The identities of the Bar examiners will also be kept secret, and the examiners will be made to personally check the examinees’ answers.

Bar examiners will submit 50 questions but the Bar chairman will pick the questions to make sure the examiners will not know what questions will come out.

The examiners will not include law school professors and their relatives will not be allowed to take the exams, the court said.

A total of 5,607 law graduates took the 2005 Bar exam, 27.22 percent or 1,526 of whom passed.