The Office of the Solicitor General has backed the legality of Philippine Law School Admission Test, the government’s uniform entrance exam for law schools.
During the oral arguments last Tuesday, Solicitor General Jose Calida asked the Supreme Court to dismiss for lack of merit the petitions filed by members of the academe and law students seeking to abolish the Legal Education Board and the Philsat.
The Solicitor General also shot down the proposition of petitioners led by retired Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Oscar Pimentel seeking to transfer to the High Court to authority to regulate law schools.
The chief state lawyer disputed the arguments that LEB’s imposition of a uniform entrance test on law schools violates academic freedom under Section 5, Article 14 of the 1987 Constitution.
Calida said that the board created under Republic Act 7662 has the power to regulate law schools.
“The Board is empowered to set the standards of accreditation for law schools. These standards pertain to enrolment, faculty, admission of students, curriculum, library, and other facilities. There can therefore be no violation of the academic freedom of law schools because the standards are fair, reasonable, and equitable admission and academic requirements,” he said.