The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday announced that first and second-level courts where Bar examination testing sites are located throughout the country will be closed on the first day of the exams on Friday.
In a memorandum, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said in the National Capital Region (NCR), the closure covers the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and all first and second level courts.
The closure is needed, the court said, “considering that a number of court staff and employees and the physical resources of the Supreme Court and collegiate courts have been deployed to the different testing sites in the country,”.
Under the directive, officials, staff, and employees of all courts who were deployed and rendered services during the preparations and the actual Bar examinations and during post-Bar examinations activities shall be considered on official time.
In Luzon, the closure includes courts in Benguet, La Union Abra, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Batangas, Nueva Ecija, Dasmariñas City, Quezon, Mindoro Oriental, and Camarines Sur.
It also includes courts in Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Samar in the Visayas.
In Mindanao, closed are courts in Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Basilan, Agusan del Norte, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon, Cotabato, General Santos City, Sarangani and South Cotabato.
Meanwhile, for purposes of transparency of Bar operations, law school deans were directed to send copies of all last-minute Bar reviewers or “tips” given to examinees by a law school, bar review center, or bar operations of a school.
Source: Philippines News Agency
