BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City — The first two days – September 8 and 11 – of the Bar Examination at Central Philippine University (CPU) went peaceful with heightened security as over 100 police officers ensured order.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) deployment forms part of a robust security framework aimed at facilitating a smooth conduct of the exams.
CPU serves as one of the Supreme Court-designated local testing centers for the nationwide Bar exams.
A significant number of barristers from CPU, University of San Agustin, West Visayas State University, and several provincial law schools in the Visayas are participating in the exams held at the CPU site.
“We did not record any significant incidents at Central Philippine University,” said Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines, the spokesperson for the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
The stringent security measures stem from Executive Order No. 113, issued by Mayor Jerry Treñas. The order set up a coordinating team to oversee the exams, involving various government agencies and law enforcement units to ensure everything from logistics to security is seamlessly integrated.
Part of the security arrangements included temporary road closures around CPU and the enforcement of a liquor ban nearby, aiming to minimize disruptions for the examinees.
The police also established a special assistance desk and deployed SWAT teams to handle any potential emergencies swiftly.
The exams are set to continue on September 15, with this year marking the fourth instance of the Bar exams being conducted digitally, aligning with the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.
This shift from traditional pen-and-paper to digital platforms aims to modernize and streamline the examination process.
Last year, 3,812 out of 10,387 examinees nationwide passed the Bar — a passing rate of 36.77 percent (a decrease from the previous year’s 43.47 percent)./PN
