Review of Bar exam results sought

MANILA, Philippines - A senior administration lawmaker appealed yesterday to the Supreme Court to “review and recheck” the results of the last Bar examinations, which were considered to be confusing and had the lowest passing rate.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, a former law dean and constitutionalist, said the examinees had a difficult time on the multiple choice questions (MCQs) on three “killer subjects” – criminal law, labor law and civil law.

“I spoke with many law deans and law professors and they themselves found the MCQs very difficult,” Rodriguez told The STAR.

“I appeal to the Supreme Court to reconsider the results of the Bar exams and not destroy the lives of many who deserve to be lawyers,” he said. “There’s a strong and growing clamor in the legal community for the Supreme Court to take action.”

He said he will write a formal letter to the high court as well as file a resolution in the House of Representatives appealing to the magistrates.

He said the difficulty was in the choice of answers in the MCQs where almost all were correct, so the examinees had a hard time determining which was the most accurate answer, a complaint aired by Bar topnotcher Ignatius Michael Ingles.

Out of the 5,686 law graduates who took the examinations in October last year, only 949 passed or 16.69 percent.

Rodriguez recalled that previous Bar examinations had passing rates of about 30 to 40 percent.

He said it is only the SC that has the power to administer and review the Bar examinations.

“I hope they (SC justices) can give a bonus to these deserving law graduates,” the lawmaker said.

Rodriguez also called for a review of the format of the Bar examinations that put too much emphasis on MCQs.