MANILA, Philippines – Over 11,000 examinees were able to take the Bar examinations on Friday, February 4, the first of a two-day schedule, for an equivalent of a 96% turnout, Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said.

The initial count of 11,378 is the biggest number of Bar takers ever, as COVID-19 canceled the 2020 Bar and forced the Supreme Court to combine the 2020 and 2021 batches for this Bar. The Bar was postponed three times due to COVID-19 surges, and was ultimately reduced to two days, the second day immediately on Sunday, February 6, to avoid examinees contracting the virus mid-exam.

Traditonally, the Bar Exams are held on all Sundays in November in a university in Metro Manila. However, COVID-19 changed all that, and forced the Supreme Court to pilot the first digitized and remote Bar in history. There are 31 remote testing sites in 22 key areas across the country in this pandemic-marred Bar Exams.

According to Leonen, about 115 examinees were found COVID-19 positive out of the 8,461 tested with the supervision of the Supreme Court. Not all 115 were unable to take the Bar, as Leonen said there were some considerations including a recovered case. There were others who tested positive in antigen tests administered outside of the SC system, but numbers from that haven’t come in yet.

Some may have possibly skipped the Bar not because they tested positive, but for other reasons.

Examinees were required to present a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours to be able to take the Bar. Those who tested positive in antigen needed to obtain a negative RT-PCR to be able to take the Bar. Without these negative tests, they would not be able to take the Bar, causing great disappointment to law graduates, some of them had been reviewing for two years.

There are no other options for them to take this Bar, said Leonen, adding that they have exhausted all their options in negotiations with local government units and national authorities. It’s the first time that the Bar Examinations are taken on their laptops.

“Ayaw kong magkunwari na mayroon akong masasabing wisdom para sa kanila, ang naiimagine ko lang ay frustration at lungkot at hirap nila sa paghahanda para sa Bar na ‘to, only to discover na positive sila. Hindi nga ako makatulog the past few days kasi iniisip ko ano pa pwede naming gawin, except to say baka pwede naming ibalik ang application fee,” Leonen said in a press briefing Friday morning.

(I don’t want to pretend that I have wisdom for them, I can only imagine the frustration, sadness, and difficulty of preparing for this Bar only to discover that they are positive (of COVID-19). I have been sleepless the past few days thinking what else we could do, except to say maybe we can refund the application fee.)

Leonen said the suggestions to pool the positives in one room and have a proctor wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) is not in line with Department of Health (DOH) protocols. Leonen said DOH has clear isolation rules.

“Sa lahat ng nag-test ng positive, masakit sa kalooban ko, sa kalooban ng team, sa kalooban ng Supreme Court, pero hindi ho pwede na Supreme Court ang mismong mag-violate ng protocols promulgated by DOH or LGU who chooses to have stricter guidelines,” said Leonen.

(To all those who tested positive, it hurts me, it hurts my team, it hurts the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court cannot be the one to violate all of the protocols promulgated by the DOH or LHU who chooses to have stricter guidelines.)

Leonen clarified that once examinees hurdle the COVID-19 test on Day 1, they will definitely be able to take the Bar on the second day even if they show symptoms on site.

“Only one antigen test 48 hours before. If they’re symptomatic on Sunday, for example they sneeze or cough, we give all accommodations, we are presuming that maybe it’s just the common cold but we use the isolation area in the premises,” Leonen said.

Isolation rooms have longer distance in between tables, said Leonen.

Leonen reiterated there will be no special exams. The result of the Bar is usually released after five or six months, but Leonen said there is a “high possibility” it could be sooner because the digital mode would have also made it easier to check the examinations.

For this Bar only, there will be no Top 10.

Leonen said he is not in the position to tell if the 2022 Bar Examinations would push through this November, the traditional Bar date. Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa, the next Bar chairman, will be the one to announce.

The 2019 Bar examinations, the last Bar before COVID-19, had 7,685 takers. Of that, 2,103 passed making for a 27.36% passing rate. The 2018 Bar passing rate was 22.07%.

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– Rappler.com