‘Bar exam in key cities costly’

DECENTRALIZING the bar examinations next year is “too costly,” a Supreme Court official said.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said the High Court will need a huge allocation to realize the proposal to hold the bar examination in key cities outside Metro Manila, like Baguio, Davao, Cebu and Iloilo.

Marquez said the move will entail many requirements in the preparation, such as bringing in of the Office of the Bar Confidant, which keeps the records of all lawyers in the country, to the city where the exams will be held.

Marquez raised these scenarios when he visited Cebu City last week to speak in an orientation-seminar on regional procurement planning for the judiciary in Central Visayas, attended by Cebu City judges and clerks at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu City.

Calls 

Lawyers and law schools from Cebu City have renewed their calls urging the High Court to hold the bar examinations outside Manila following the bombing incident last Sept. 26.

The post bar-blast injured 47 individuals, including law students and examinees.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Manila filed criminal charges Thursday against the suspects in the bombing a few days after it cleared Cebuano law student Jed Carlo Lazaga of involvement in the bombing.

Lawyers, law students and legislators agreed that examinees from the Visayas and Mindanao could save a lot in board and lodging, as they do not have to attend bar reviews or take the four consecutive Sundays of bar exams in Manila.

Not possible 

However, Marquez stood firm on their stand in objecting the proposal.

“Not in 2011. It’s not possible,” said Marquez, admitting that one of the major concerns that prevent the High Court from granting the request to hold Bar exams outside of Manila is allocation.

Apart from budget constraint and a large number of personnel needed to be brought outside of Manila, Marquez also raised the concern on test leakage during the shipment of test questionnaires.

Meanwhile, Midas expressed confidence that the decentralization of procurement of supplies in the lower courts would improve the judicial system.

He said functions of the Regional Court Administrator Office are patterned after that of his office so that it would be easier for lower courts to procure the needed office supplies.