SC finds review coach guilty over false claims that AI will be used to check Bar Exams
The Supreme Court has has found a bar review coach guilty of indirect contempt after he spread false information that the 2023 Bar Examinations would be checked by artificial intelligence.
In their decision, the court ruled that Edgar Dizon was liable for indirect contempt after he made a viral post on the Facebook group "Bar Law for Dummies" claiming that the exams would be “sorted, checked, and corrected by means of artificial intelligence."
He also wrote, "ALWAYS START WITH YES or NO. 'Yan ang unang hahanapin ng AI Checking to sort out the correct answers."
The court said that the post "caused anxiety among bar examinees, who were then in the final stages of preparing for the examinations." Moreover, it also disrupted bar operations as the Office of the 2023 Bar Chair, headed by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, had to investigate the source of the post and determine its impact on the examinations.
The BCO had to issue an advisory maintaining that the exams would be checked by four human examiners for each subject, all of whom are experts in their respective fields.
"Instead of removing the post, Dizon gave a media interview, where he threatened to sue the Court and demanded a public apology 'within 24 hours.' He also sent several emails to the SC’s Judiciary Public Assistance Section, claiming that the advisory had a chilling effect on him. He denied spreading misinformation and asked the Court to issue a statement correcting the advisory," the court recounted.
Dizon, a 2016 Bar passer, subsequently denied claiming that AI would check the examinations and argued that he used the words “TO HELP” in his post.
However, the SC was not convinced, stating that he "clearly and categorically mentioned that the AI will do the checking and sorting of the examinees' answers."
"Dizon expressed surprise that the matter regarding his posts has spiraled to this level. To the Court, this only shows that Dizon was totally oblivious of the consequences and gravity of his irresponsible acts," their decision read.
"He should have been aware that the examinees were all weary and stressed, that any news about the bar examinations, whether small or big, will definitely be received with alarm and apprehension," it added.
There is also "no question that the viral posts disrupted the bar operations," as it forced bar officials to divert their limited time and resources to tracing the source of the post, coordinating with government agencies, issuing clarifications, and responding to numerous inquiries.
Additionally, he was also found to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law when he conducted bar review coaching sessions and authored several bar review materials on various bar exam subjects.
Under Rule 71 of the Rules of Court, acts such as unlawfully interfering with court proceedings outside the courtroom, engaging in conduct that degrades the courts or erodes public trust in the justice system, and practicing law without authorization may constitute indirect contempt.
The SC further pointed out Dizon's "lack of remorse" for refusing to take down the post and instead threatening legal action against the court.
With this, Dizon has been penalized with a fine of P30,000 and his name was removed from the list of 2016 Bar passers.