PNP tightens security for 2026 Bar exams

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy personnel and resources to secure the 2026 Bar examinations on 6, 9 and 13 September, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Thursday.

The exams will be held at 15 testing centers nationwide, including seven in Metro Manila, three in Luzon, three in the Visayas and two in Mindanao.

Nartatez said police units had been ordered to implement security measures to maintain peace and order throughout the three-day examinations.

“This is an important event for the legal community that requires police presence and attention. And we in the PNP will make sure that a sufficient number of our personnel will be on the ground for peace and order,” he said.

The PNP said it will also coordinate with local authorities on traffic management and road safety around the testing centers, where increased vehicle and pedestrian activity is expected.

Security measures will cover not only examinees but also parents, law students and groups participating in bar operations near examination venues.

Nartatez said no security threat related to the Bar examinations had been monitored so far, but police units would continue coordinating preparations and maintaining a presence in key areas.

He also urged examinees to cooperate with security personnel, follow established protocols and remain alert while traveling to and from testing centers.