8,701 hopefuls: Record number of law graduates take bar exams

The first day of this year’s bar examination kicked off without incident at the University of Santos Tomas (UST) campus in Manila on Sunday.

A record 8,701 law graduates were cheered on by their families, friends and schoolmates as they entered the university early in the morning to take the first of four tests to be given every Sunday this month.

About 400 policemen from the Manila Police District were deployed to the area but there were no reports of untoward incidents.

The Supreme Court, which administers the annual licensure exams for lawyers, has put in place stringent security measures since a grenade attack during the 2010 bar exams held at De La Salle University in Manila left several people injured.

The chair of this year’s bar exams committee, Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, hosted the traditional breakfast with law school deans to discuss the test questions.

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen also visited the UST campus to talk about the security measures with National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar, and greet some of the examinees at the school gates.

Liquor ban

As in past exams, the Manila City government banned the sale of liquor within a 100-meter radius of UST.

Tents, tarpaulins and loud music were also prohibited in the area while those taking the test were required to use transparent bags. Medical personnel were also placed on standby.

This year’s examinees is the biggest number in recent years, according to the high court.

Only 1,724, or 25.5 percent of the 6,748 hopefuls, passed last year’s bar exams.

The test is the only licensure examination not administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.