MIRIAM TO SC: REPLACE BAR WITH ADMISSION TEST

“With the bar examination, we tell a failed student that after eight years of college, he cannot practice law. We’re wasting lives. With the LSAT, we tell the student that he should not even enter law school, if he does not have the aptitude for it,” she said.

Santiago made the statement during the budget hearing for the Supreme Court.

In the same hearing, Santiago asked the Comelec to explain why until now the collection of some P1 billion has not been completed from Mega-Pacific eSolutions, Inc., which was required to return the purchase price for automated counting machines, after the Supreme Court invalidated the contract.

Santiago also asked the Comelec to explain why until now, Comelec has not fully recovered some P260 million from the Philippine Multimedia Systems, for a similarly voided contract.

The senator also questioned Comelec for paying in full some P78 million in laminated voters ID, when the supplier has not yet fully complied with the contract.

Santiago said that in the last two elections the local voter turnout was less than 80 percent, but the Comelec procured supplies at 100 percent, plus ten percent contingency.

“If Comelec had been more scientific in estimating voter turnout, we could have saved some P 680 million,” Santiago said.