INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The bar examination committee of the Supreme Court on Wednesday said the result of the 2012 bar examination was second lowest passing rate in the history of professional licensure examination for lawyers in the Philippines.
A total of 17.76 percent or 949 out of 5,343 passed the 2012 bar examination, the Supreme Court announced Wednesday. It added 5,686 of examinees but only 5,343 completed the four Sunday examinations.
Committee Chairman Associate Justice Martin Villarama said the high court has reduced the passing percentage from 75 percent to only 70 percent.
If the passing rate would not be reduced, only 361 law graduates would have passed the bar or 6 percent, the committee said.
At a press conference Wednesday, Villarama said that the choices in the multiple choice question were “confusingly correct” that the court has decided to make the multiple choice only 20 percent of the 2012 bar exam should be.”
The bar exam was held on all four Sundays of October (October 7, 14, 21 and 28) at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
The bar passers may secure their clearances from the Office of the Bar Confidant during office hours, Monday to Friday from April 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oath-taking for new lawyers is scheduled on April 24 at the Philippine International Convention Center.
This is the second lowest passing rate in history. The lowest was in 1999 with 16.59 percent while the highest passing percentage of all time was in 1954 with 75.17 percent.
Examiners in the 2012 licensure include Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza for Political and Public International Law, Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres B. Reyes Jr. for Labor and Social Legislation, Atty. Jesus Manalastas for Civil Law, Atty. Victorino Mamalateo for Taxation, Atty. Lily Gruba for Mercantile Law, Court of Appeals Justice Thelma Ponferrada for Criminal Law, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Rafael Lagos for Remedial Law, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Manuel Barrios for Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises.
The Rules of Court provide that “a candidate may be deemed to have passed his examination successfully if he has obtained a general average of 75percent.” The rule disqualifying applicants having grades in any subject falling below 50percent has been abolished since 2010.
In determining the average, subjects in the examinations are given the following relative weights: Political and International Law, 15 percent; Labor and Social Legislation, 10percent; Civil Law, 15percent; Taxation, 10percent; Mercantile Law, 15percent; Criminal Law, 10percent; Remedial Law, 20percent; and Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises, 5 percent, for a total of 100 percent.