THE Supreme Court yesterday said this year’s Bar exams will proceed as scheduled this month despite the appeal of some examinees for its postponement due to the effect of typhoon “Paeng” in some parts of the country.
In a Bar bulletin, the SC said it is aware of the appeals aired mostly on social media to postpone the exams set on November 9, 13, 16, and 20.
The tribunal said the office of Associate Justice and 2022 Bar Exams Committee Chair Alfredo Benjamin Caguiao assessed and surveyed the 14 local testing centers and all the local government units where the LTCs are located to determine they are capable and ready to hold the exam as scheduled.
The SC said all the LGUs and LTCs categorically indicated they remain prepared and ready to participate in the Bar exams as scheduled.
SC spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka said 9,916 law graduates are expected to take the 2022 exams.
The LTCs are located at San Beda University, De La Salle University, Manila Adventist College, Ateneo Junior High School Complex, Ateneo de Manila University, and the state-run University of the Philippines-Diliman campus for Metro Manila while three schools in Luzon will also host the exams — the University of St. Louis in Baguio City, De La Salle Lipa City, and University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City.
In the Visayas, the LTCs are at the University of Cebu, University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu City, and Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Education Foundation in Tacloban City.
The Mindanao schools that will serve as LTCs are Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, Ateneo de Davao, and Ateneo de Zamboanga in Zamboanga City.
The High Court said aside from the appeals for postponement, it also considered the sentiments of those keen on taking the exams as scheduled as well as the hundreds of personnel and volunteers who will help conduct the exams.
“Taking all of these under consideration, it is the examined position of the Court that the 2022 Bar examinations on November 9, 13, 16 and 20, 2022 will proceed as scheduled,” the SC said.
“Far from impervious to the needs and struggles of the examinees who are struggling in the aftermath of severe tropical storm Paeng, and as the Court fully understands that this may not restore to the affected examinees the true cost of their preparations for the Bar examinations, it deems it right that examinees who may be unable to take the 2022 Bar examinations as scheduled for the foregoing reason may apply for a refund of their Bar fees with the Office of the Bar Confidant,” the SC added.
The SC said the Bar fees paid may be applied for the 2023 Bar examinations set in September.
The High Court added that postponing this year’s exam will have “ripple effects” on the next Bar examinations.
The “regionalized and digitalized” examinations were first held in the 2020 and again in the 2021 Bar exams last February. The SC decided to use the set-up due to the health and travel restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 11,402 took the 2020/2021 Bar exams with 8,241 or 72.28 percent passing them.
