The Cebu City Police Office will deploy 102 officers starting at 4 a.m. to secure the University of San Jose-Recoletos Basak campus for the Bar examinations on September 6, 9, and 13, 2026.
Between 1,200 and 1,300 examinees are registered to take the examinations at the venue, which is designated as the sole local testing center in Cebu by the Supreme Court.
Authorities will enforce noise restrictions and a liquor ban within a 100-meter radius of the venue starting at 12:01 a.m. Sunday until the evenings of the exam days.
THE Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will deploy more than 100 officers to secure the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Basak campus for the first day of the Bar examinations on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.
At least 1,000 law graduates are expected to take this year’s Bar exams scheduled for three days, on Sept. 6, 9 and 13.
USJ-R’s Basak campus is the only venue in Cebu designated by the Supreme Court (SC) as a local testing center (LTC). Another 14 LTCs are spread in the National Capital Region, other parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The deployment will begin at 4 a.m., with police inspecting areas inside and outside the testing center in coordination with the Supreme Court’s Office of the Judiciary Marshals.
Lt. Col. Miguel Andeza, deputy director for operations, said the 102 officers will be deployed to secure the venue, examiners and the Bar exam personnel.
The contingent will include personnel from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, Quick Reaction Team, Special Weapons and Tactics and intelligence units.
Other Cebu City Government offices will also provide personnel and equipment during the examinations.
The City Transportation Office will manage traffic along Natalio Bacalso Ave., while the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will deploy ambulances. The Bureau of Fire Protection will have a fire truck on standby.
Liquor, noise restrictions
Andeza said authorities will enforce noise restrictions and a liquor ban within a 100-meter radius of the examination venue to keep the area quiet for the examinees.
Enforcement will begin at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and end in the evening after the examinees have left the venue.
“From the entrance of USJ-R and its surrounding area, within a 100-meter radius, making excessive noise and drinking will be prohibited to provide a solemn environment for our Bar examinees,” Andeza said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Number of examinees
Data from the CCPO show that between 1,200 and 1,300 examinees are registered to take the Bar exams at the USJ-R testing center.
The same security measures and restrictions will be enforced on the succeeding examination days.
Police are also preparing for a larger crowd on the final day of the examinations, when relatives, friends and classmates of the examinees are expected to gather outside the venue.
Authorities will maintain security around the testing center until the examinees have left the area. / AYB
