MANILA, Philippines – This year’s Bar examinations came to a peaceful and orderly end yesterday, a Supreme Court (SC) official said.
No untoward incident was reported during the conduct of the four-Sunday exams held at the University of Sto. Tomas in España, Manila, according to SC spokesman Theodore Te.
A total of 7,146 law graduates – the highest in the past four years – registered for the exams. The number of examinees dropped to 6,619 after 527 were disqualified for failing to show up on the first Sunday.
The SC has yet to release the final number of examinees.
Just like in the previous year, the examinees were required to use transparent or see-through bags.
The measure was adopted to ensure the safety of the examinees and Bar personnel.
Under the guidelines issued by the SC office of the bar confidant, all the examinees should place their books, pens, food, water and other personal items inside transparent bags or clear zip-lock bags, pouches, lunch boxes, clear water containers and other similar containers.
Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo–De Castro, chairman of the committee for the 2015 Bar exams, said the measure was adopted to speed up the inspection of bags and personal belongings of the examinees before entering their respective room assignments.
Additional security measures were put in place after a grenade explosion marred the September 2010 Bar exams at the De La Salle University in Manila.
The Bar exams covered subjects in political law, labor law, civil law, taxation, mercantile law, criminal law, remedial law and legal and judicial ethics.