The Supreme Court (SC) has prepared contingency measures in case of an inclement weather during the conduct of the 2017 Bar exams, which is set to kick off on Sunday, November 5.
Based on a memo signed by Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant Ma. Christina Layusa, 10 SC buses would be deployed in case of heavy rains to fetch the examinees as well as duty personnel of the high court from designated pick-up points in Metro Manila, and transport them to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) along España Boulevard where the examinations would be held.
A total of 7,227 aspiring lawyers are set to take the bar exams in all Sundays of this month, until November 26.
Bar Matter No. 20 identified the pick-up points as follows:
- Quezon City Memorial Circle (2 buses)
- Park and Ride – Lawton, Manila (1 bus)
- SC Compound – Taft Avenue, Manila (2 buses)
- Coastal Mall Terminal, Parañaque (2 buses) for Nov. 5, 19 and 26), EDSA Magallanes Flyover, Pasay City (2 buses beneath the flyover) for Nov. 12
- Greenbelt and Glorietta – Ayala Center, Makati (2 buses)
- Marikina Sports Complex (1 bus)
Layusa said the SC buses, which would be stationed at these areas as early as 5:00 a.m. and would leave at exactly 5:30 a.m., will be on a first come, first serve basis and exclusively for bar examinees and duty personnel.
“In order to avail of this service, they must present their Notice of Admission, Gate Pass and/or ID card, as the case may be, to the bus driver before being allowed to board,” Layusa noted.
Additionally, Layusa said that in case of flooding inside the UST compound before the bar exam starts, commuter vans of the SC shall be available to transport bar examinees and duty personnel from the UST gates to their respective examination buildings within the campus.
Layusa, however, pointed out that: ‘’Priority in the use of the commuter vans shall be given to senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disability.”
Layusa said the commuter vans would be on standby at each examination building in UST should flooding persist until the end of the test. These vans would bring the examinees and duty personnel to the Osmeña and Arellano Drives near Gate 5 of UST, where the SC buses are parked.
The SC buses would then transport them to the following drop-off areas:
- Quezon City Memorial Circle (North-bound passengers)
- Park and Ride in Lawton and SC premises
- Coastal Mall Terminal, Parañaque for Nov. 5, 19 and 26, EDSA Magallanes Flyover in Pasay City for Nov. 12 (South-bound passengers)
- Ayala Center (Glorietta and Greenbelt) for Makati area-bound passengers
- Marikina Sports Complex for Marikina-bound passengers
Meanwhile, all bar-takers and SC personnel were advised to avoid Roxas Boulevard on the second day of examinations, slated on November 12, due to the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.
The number of bar examinees for 2017 is higher compared to the previous year’s 6,831.
The bar examinations cover eight subjects, namely: Political Law, Civil Law, Taxation, Labor Law, Criminal Law, Remedial Law, Mercantile Law, and Legal and Judicial Ethics. /kga