Members of the police force will tighten security around the University of Santo Tomas (UST) here as the annual bar examination starts Sunday, Manila Police District (MPD) acting Director, Brig. Gen. Bernabe Balba, said Saturday.

Balba said the deployment of 600 uniformed police personnel is meant to deter any untoward incident that may happen on these days, as well as to ensure order around the vicinity of the university.

“It’s all systems go for the MPD as it prepares for the conduct of the bar exams, wherein more than 8,000 law graduates are expected to flock to the UST on all Sundays of November,” he said.

The MPD will direct, administer, and supervise security, anti-criminality operations, emergency preparedness, and crisis response procedures for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the activity.

Balba assured the examinees and the public of stepped-up security “to provide a conducive environment for our future lawyers to take the examination without the worry of any disruption.”

He also warned the public of several modus operandi in the area, urging them to be vigilant and alert.

Meanwhile, the MPD, through its Traffic Enforcement Unit, will implement road closure and vehicles rerouting during the exams on November 3, 10 and 17.

Streets around UST — P. Noval and Dapitan – as well as AH Lacson Avenue and España Boulevard, will be on the stop-and-go situation during drop-off time (5 a.m. – 8 a.m.) and pick-up time (5 p.m. onwards) of bar examinees.

No parking within the vicinity of UST, especially along España Boulevard, AH Lacson Avenue, Dapitan, and P Noval streets, will be allowed.

According to the Supreme Court (SC), 8,245 examinees are set to take the 2019 bar exams, which is chaired by Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe.

Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant, lawyer Ma. Cristina Layusa said that in case of heavy rains, 10 SC buses will be made available to transport examinees and duty personnel to UST from several pick-up points on each morning of the examination day.

The buses shall be stationed as early as 4:30 a.m. and will leave exactly at 5 a.m. in the following areas: Quezon City Memorial Circle (two buses); Park and Ride, Lawton, Manila (one bus); Supreme Court Compound, Taft Avenue (two buses); EDSA Magallanes Flyover (beneath the Flyover), Pasay (two buses); Greenbelt and Glorietta, Ayala Center, Makati (two buses); and Marikina Sports Complex (one bus).

Only bar examinees and duty personnel will be allowed to ride the shuttle buses. Boarding shall be on a first-come, first-served basis. To avail of this service, they must present their Notice of Admission, Gate Pass and/or identification cards to the bus driver before being allowed to board.

In case of flooding inside the UST compound before the start of the exams, commuter vans of the SC shall also be available to transport examinees and duty personnel from the UST gates to their respective examination buildings.

Senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) shall be prioritized in the use of the commuter vans.

The vans shall also be available at each examination building to shuttle bar examinees and duty personnel back to Osmeña and Arellano Drives near Gate 5 along España Boulevard, where the SC buses are parked.

The SC buses will transport and drop them off in the following areas: northbound passengers will be transported up to Quezon City Memorial Circle; southbound passengers will be dropped off at Park and Ride, Lawton, Supreme Court premises, and at the EDSA Magallanes Flyover (beneath the Flyover) in Pasay; passengers bound for Makati will be dropped off at the Ayala Center (Glorietta and Greenbelt); and passengers bound for Marikina will be dropped off at the Marikina Sports Complex.