SC to Bar examinees: Get vax before Nov. 7

The Supreme Court has advised all approved Bar examination applicants to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the exam that will be held in the four Sundays of November starting November 7.

Through Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, chairperson of the 2020/2021 Bar Committee, the high court said it is now coordinating with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to include in the country’s vaccination program bar applicants who do not fall to any of the priority groups.

In Bar Bulletin No. 22.S.2021, Leonen also advised those belonging to priority groups A2 (senior citizens), A3 (persons with comorbidities), and A4 (frontline personnel in essential workers) to take advantage of the free vaccination being offered by their respective local government units.

The A4 priority group includes private sector workers required to be physically present at their designated workplaces outside their residences; employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units; and Informal sector workers and self-employed persons who may be required to work outside their residences; and those working in private households.

“The Bar Chairperson, with the support of the Court En Banc, aims to have all the approved Bar applicants fully vaccinated before November,” the bulletin stated.

“In the meantime, we strongly encourage every bar applicant who falls under the priority groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” it said.

Leonen also informed the applicants his office is hoping to procure COVID-19 testing kits for bar examinees.

He said protocols for the Bar examinations would be released in early October, which would be dependent on the pandemic situation at that time.

“Keep safe and well, study with passion, help others, and do not spread false information. Advise those who do so or burden others by broadcasting their needless anxiety that they are doing everyone a disservice,” Leonen stressed.

“Focus on all you must do today. We are properly engaged. We have you covered,” he said.

SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said he could not say yet whether Bar examinees would be required to have a negative COVID-19 test on the day of examination.

“Let us wait for the COVID-19 health protocols for the coming exams which according to the Bar Chair …will be out early October,” Hosaka said.

Last July 15, the SC started accepting online applications for the 2020 and 2021 bar examinations, which will be conducted in at least 16 testing centers nationwide.

The testing centers are the St. Louis University in Baguio City, Ateneo de Manila University, Manila Adventist College, Saint Louis College – La Union, Saint Mary’s University, Cagayan State University, De La Salle Lipa in Lipa City, University of Nueva Caceres;

University of St. La Salle – Bacolod, Central Philippine University, University of Cebu – Banilad, Mindanao State University – Iligan, Mindanao State University – General Santos City, Ateneo de Davao University Xavier University – Cagayan de Oro, and Ateneo de Zamboanga University.