Mayor thanked SC for historic Bar Exams

AFTER THE successful conduct of the first-ever Bar Examinations in Zamboanga, Mayor Beng Climaco thanked the Supreme Court for choosing the City as one of the venues of the two-day examinations for over 200 aspiring lawyers.

Climaco also thanked the Ateneo de Zamboanga University led by Fr. Karel San Juan for hosting the Bar Examinations.

She expressed gratitude to the security sector - the Zamboanga City Police Office and the Joint Task Force Zamboanga, including the Bureau of Fire and Protection for their significant roles in the success of the examinations last February 4 and 6.

The Bar Examinations was previously set in November last year and moved this month because of the pandemic. By tradition, the examinations were held on four Sundays of the month in Metro Manila, but due to the health crisis, it was held at several venues throughout the country. 

The examinations were digitized, allowing Barristers to use laptops and digital downloading of the questionnaire from the Internet. Health protocols were also mandatory among the Barristers and those who conducted the examinations. 

“With everybody’s support and cooperation, Zamboanga City successfully conducted the historic bar exam, the first digitized and localized test ever held in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said. 

Prior to the examinations, Climaco met with the personnel from the Supreme Court headed by Atty. Jul Ahmed Gaspar accompanied by Executive Judge Peter Eisma and other local court officials to discuss the needed preparations for the conduct of the examinations. 

The Bar Examination is the professional licensure examination for lawyers and is exclusively administered by the Supreme Court through the Supreme Court Bar Examination Committee.  

The rule limits to five the number of times a candidate may take the Bar exams. The rule disqualifies a candidate after failing in three examinations. However, the candidate is permitted to take fourth and fifth examinations if he or she successfully completes a one-year refresher course for each examination.   

The other venues of the Bar Examinations were the Ateneo de Manila University; Manila Adventist College; SLU Baguio; Saint Louis College – La Union; Saint Mary’s University; Cagayan State University; De La Salle Lipa; University of Nueva Caceres; University of St. La Salle – Bacolod; Central Philippine University; University of Cebu – Banilad; Mindanao State University – Iligan; Mindanao State University – General Santos City; Ateneo de Davao University; and Xavier University – Cagayan de Oro. (Zamboanga Post)