First day of Bar exams: all quiet, mercifully

MANILA, Philippines – As elite police teams kept a tight watch on security, the first day of Bar exams were conducted without incident Sunday at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, with over 5,000 law graduates taking the test.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a peaceful first day of exams as Manila police were deployed in the area to ensure the safety of people. At the UST's main gate along Espana, over 30 policemen including members of the bomb squad were deployed for security.

The extra security was warranted in light of the disruption that attended the exams three years ago outside its former venue at De La Salle University in Taft Avenue, when a grenade was hurled at a group of exam takers, causing one coed who was assisting in the “Bar Operations” for one school to lose both legs.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), meanwhile, advised motorists of heavy traffic in the UST area on all Sundays of October due to the Bar