| 2010 Philippine Bar exam bombing | |
|---|---|
 Police comb the debris for evidence | |
 Locations of the explosion, DLSU, and the hospitals where the victims were brought | |
| Location | Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°33′49″N 120°59′41″E / 14.56361°N 120.99472°E |
| Date | September 26, 2010 5:05 pm (UTC+08:00) |
| Target | Tau Gamma Phi members |
Attack type | School bombing |
| Weapons | Mk2 grenade |
| Injured | 47 |
No. of participants | Three |
The 2010 Philippine Bar exam bombing occurred on Taft Avenue near De La Salle University (DLSU), located in Malate, Manila, Philippines, on September 26, 2010, at 5:05 pm PST, a few minutes after Philippine Bar examinees began exiting DLSU. A Mk2 grenade was thrown at a group of Alpha Phi Beta members from San Beda College. They were standing near Tau Gamma Phi members, who police believed were the real target of the explosive. This resulted in injuries to 47 people, including two who required amputations.
Jed Carlos Lazaga was initially accused of throwing the grenade, based on information received by the Manila Police District (MPD) from an unnamed witness. This theory was later dismissed when the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) took over the case.
Anthony Leal Nepomuceno, NBI's prime suspect and an Alpha Phi Omega (APO) member, surrendered to Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar Binay on October 27. Binay and former Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, both of whom are APO members, joined fellow APO members in asserting Nepomuceno's innocence. Binay's actions were criticized by several members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, who said Nepomuceno was cleared prematurely. The Office of the President stated that it had no intention to distance Binay from the matter, but clarified that Binay's statements would have no bearing in the investigation.
In a 27-page DOJ resolution, prosecutors found Nepomuceno's defense "weak", and recommended his indictment. DOJ charged him with multiple murder charges (for almost killing the two amputees), multiple attempted murder charges, and illegal possession of explosives.
The 2010 Bar exam was the last to be conducted in De La Salle University before the eventual return of the bar exams in the university in 2022.[1][2] The 2011 exam was held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in November. The Supreme Court denied that the bombing precipitated the move; the change had already been planned before the blast. It also said that "necessary security measures" will be in force in UST to prevent an event similar to the 2010 bombing.
- ^ "Manila LGU announces road closures around DLSU, San Beda for 2022 Bar Exams". Manila Bulletin. November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "LIST: Road closures for 2022 Bar exams". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 9, 2022.