By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The station commander of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) Police Station 4 said the Bar examinations held at the University of St. La Salle (USLS) was uneventful and there were no security threats.

Police Major Ritchie Gohee said they started deploying their personnel at the USLS early Saturday morning, February 5, in order to make sure that the exams are held peacefully and safe.

Gohee said they guarded not just the exam goers but also their parents who were anxiously waiting outside the USLS.

He said the first law graduate who completed the Bar exams exited the venue around 4:00 p.m., and by the time the examinations were over they had not recorded any incidents or problems.

Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Raymond Joseph Javier, meanwhile, revealed they did not record any violations among the 143 exam goers at the USLS.

Javier’s statement is in response to the announcement made by Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen that some of the exam goers have been disqualified for breaking the honor code after it was found they have smuggled mobile phones in the examination venues, accessed social media during lunch break, and deliberately took the exams even though they have previously tested positive for COVID-19.

In an interview with Bombo Radyo-Bacolod, Atty. Jomax Ortiz, meanwhile, hopes that there would be a substantial number of exam goers that would pass, pointing out the country desperately needs new lawyers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also understood why the exam rules need to be strictly implemented, pointing out that even one small mistake can have dire consequences such as having their licenses revoked./DGB, WDJ