THE Supreme Court (SC) has advised the 6,344 law graduates who are scheduled to take the Bar examinations starting on Sunday to place their belongings in a transparent or see- through bags as part of the security measures.
The advisory was issued by Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, chairman of the 2014 Bar Committee.
“All examinees should place their books, Bar materials, pens, food, water, and other prsonal items inside transparent or see-through bags, clear zip-lock bags, pouches, lunch boxes, clear water containers, and other similar containers,” Peralta said.
Peralta noted that the policy is itnended to speed-up the inspection of bags and personal belongings of the examinees before entering their respective room assignments, and to ensure the safety of the examinees and Bar personnel.
The Bar examinations will be conducted on the four Sundays of October at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) campus on España Boulevard, Manila.
The examinations cover Political Law, Labor Law, Civil Law, Taxation, Mercantile Law, Criminal Law, Remedial Law and Legal and Judicial Ethics.
Last year, 5,293 examinees managed to hurdle the four-Sunday examinations from the original 5,593 who were admitted to take the Bar.
Examinees from the state-run University of the Philippines took five out of the top 10 places in the 2013 Bar, including the No. 1 spot copped by Nielson Pangan.
UST has been hosting the Bar exams since 2011 after the SC decided to move it from the De La Salle University (DLSU) on Taft Avenue, Manila, following a grenade explosion that injured several law students who were celebrating the last day of the examinations in 2010.
The transfer of the venue was also prompted by the termination of the SC’s contract with DLSU owing to several construction activities in their campus that year.
Earlier, the SC issued bulletins advising the public on the traffic arrangements around the UST during the tests.
In Bar Bulletin 18, Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant Maria Cristina Layusa said some roads near the UST campus may be closed to traffic at certain times of the day during the exams held for all Sundays of October.
On the other hand, only authorized vehicles with blue car passes will be allowed to enter UST adding that bar examinees arriving in private vehicles are to alight on España Boulevard.