Over 8,000 law graduates from different universities of the country gather inside the UST campus in Espana, Manila on the first day of the bar exams on Sunday, 03 November 2019.

Manila Police District chief Brig. Gen. Bernabe Balba said the MPD has deployed 600 cops to secure UST and nearby areas throughout the duration of the bar exams.

After the Nov. 3 start, the 8,245 bar takers will again return to UST for three more Sundays particularly Nov. 10, 17 and 24.

The Supreme Court claimed the number of bar examiners appears to the biggest this year. In 2018, there were only 8,158 with a passing rate of 22.07%, lower than the 25.55% passing rate of 2017, and much lower still against the 59.06% 2016 passing rate. (BENJAMIN CUARESMA/IAMIGO/CNS)