It came to pass that only four Boholanos hurdled the 2007 bar examinations, three of whom came from the Holy Name University and one from the University of Bohol.

The passing average for the recent bar exams was not the lowest in recent years but the low passing percentage came not as a surprise considering that the 2007 bar exams committee was chaired by Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna.

Azcuna, long before his appointment to the High Tribunal, has been known in the legal circle for his sadistic questions in the 1991 bar examinations which included the infamous question on the writ of amparo.

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A total of 1,289 out of the 5,626 examinees from 109 law schools nationwide passed the 2007 bar examinations held last Sept. 2, 9, 16, and 23 at the De La Salle University in Taft Avenue, Manila.

A total of 5,804 law graduates have filed their petitions to take the 2007 Bar exams but only 5,799 were admitted.

The Rules of Court provide that "a candidate may be deemed to have passed his examination successfully if he has obtained a general average of 75% in all subjects without falling below 50% in any subject." In determining the average, subjects in the examinations are given the following relative wei--ghts: Political and International Law, 15%; Labor and Social Legislation, 10%; Civil Law, 15%; Taxation, 10%; Mercantile Law, 15%; Criminal Law, 10%; Remedial Law, 20%; and Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises, 5%, for a total of 100%.

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The number of those who passed represented 22.91 percent of the total examinees. The exams were administered through Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant Atty. Ma. Cristina B. Layusa.

The examiners were Dean Raul C. Pangalangan (Political and International Law), Atty. Rodolfo A. Salalima (Labor and Social Legislation), Atty. Cirilo T. Tolosa (Civil Law), Atty. Lily K. Gruba (Taxation), Justice Estela Perlas Bernabe (Mercantile Law), Atty. Raymond Parsifal A. Fortun (Criminal Law), Atty. Sandra Marie Olaso-Coronel (Remedial Law), and Justice Ma. Cristina C. Estrada (Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises).

Oath-taking of the successful bar candidates is set on April 29 at the Philippine International Convention Center. Justice Dante O. Tinga is the chairperson of the 2008 Committee on Bar Examinations.

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Below is the statistics of the passing average of the bar examinations since 2000. It shows that the passing average for the bar exams last year is not the lowest in recent years:

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