Two-day bar examination in Cebu City ‘generally peaceful’ – city cop

Some personnel of the Cebu City Police Office secures the outside of the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) in barangay Basak Pardo, as one of the venues of this year’s bar examination. | Photo by Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — No major incidents happened during the two-day bar examinations held in three universities in Cebu City, and this is ‘generally peaceful’.

This was the initial assessment of Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office, a few hours after bar takers would officially be finished with their examinations on Sunday, February 6.

She further said that there were also no traffic concerns experienced from the three schools that held the examination, the University of San Carlos -Main Campus, University of San Jose Recoletos in Barangay Basak Pardo, and the University of Cebu in Barangay Banilad.

If they have received reports that there were gadgets confiscated from some bar takers, which in the first place, were strictly restricted upon entry of the facility, Macatangay said that they had not received such reports in their monitoring here in Cebu City.

“I think we are not in the position to comment on that but there is a procedure nga gina follow before ang usa ka bar examinee will enter the facility. Naa many protocol nga gipang follow…As to asa na or unsa na, wala man diri sa atoa. Also, we are not competent to comment on that,” Macatangay said.

(I think we are not in the position to comment on that but there is a procedure to be followed before a bar examinee will enter teh facility. There are protocols to follow…As to where and what that [report] is, we have no reports here. Also, we are not competent to comment on that.)

Macatangay also said that they had not received reports about the postings in social media on alleged suicide of a bar taker allegedly disqualified for taking the exam.

“As soon as we were able to get hold of that information as well because ni circulate mana sa social media no we are deploying our intel to verify how true is that and if ever that happens in our AOR. So far, until this hour, we haven’t determined jod that whoever posted that refers to a bar applicant nga wala naka take who was registered here sa atoang area,” Macatangay said.

(As soon as we were able to get hold of that information as well because this only circulated in social media, we are deploying our intel personnel to verify how true is that and if ever that happens in our AOR. So far, until this hour, we haven’t determined that whoever posted that refers to a bar applicant who was not able to take and was also registered here in our area.)

Regionalized Bar Exam

If ever another bar examination would happen in Cebu City, Macatangay said that police here were ready in securing this.

Admitting that it would not be that easy, she said, because Cebu City had many major events and because of that they already had put in place and anticipated needed safety measures for this.

As a lawyer herself, Macatangay said that regionalized bar examination was economical for the part of the bar takers. Also, bar takers would be near to their supporting bodies who are their families.

Earlier, Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of CCPO, said that there were 80 personnel deployed in these three venues. Including those from the police traffic, mobile, and from various stations here, they have a total of 200.

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