The results for the 2009 Philippine Bar Exam was released last March 26, 2010. At that night, I was really excited and anxious to see the results even though I did not take part of it. I do not know why? Maybe because I want my law school (FEU-Institute of Law) to be among the top notchers or maybe I want to see a fellow Muslim as a top notcher in the case of Mylene Amerol-Macumbal back in 2008. The Supreme Court website was really busy that it would take a lifetime to access it. At about 9PM, the Supreme Court provided the link for the bar passers but not for the bar top notchers. A few minutes later, news websites started posting the the top 10 bar top notchers and what I noticed first is not that the top notcher is from San Beda, it is that 7 out of the 11 top notchers are all from Ateneo de Manila Law School. Wow! Talk about total domination!
Yes, I have to admit that I am disappointed by the results of the bar top notchers (not the bar passers, congrats to all of you!) because there is not even a single small or underdog law school that is included. Last year the bar top notcher Judy Lardizabal comes from San Sebastian College. I just hope that in the upcoming bar examinations, underdog law schools may able to top the bar exams and it should not revolve only around Ateneo, San Beda or UP because if that trend goes on we may see some sort of a monopoly happening regarding law schools. The CHED are now closing down non-performing law schools so that is why I predict that happening.
Another as I have mentioned above is that there is no fellow Muslim included among the top notchers unlike last year or back in 2006 when Al-shwaid L. Ismael was ranked top 8th. This is a big deal for me because as Mylene Amerol-Macumbal summed it up "There is still discrimination in this country against Muslims and Muslim women due largely to misconceptions, I hope to help erase those misconceptions”. In a country where we are a minority, I felt the need for me and my fellow Muslims to step up and do something to erase those misconceptions. In addition to that, look at our politics, sports, business industry, show biz industry or any other aspects, and let me ask you if there are any well known Filipino Muslim figure in those? Maybe you can mention to me one or two and that is it. This is one of the primary reason why I took up law school and I hope to follow in the footsteps of Ms. Amerol-Macumbal and Mr. Ismael.
Here's the list of the top 10 bar top notchers of the 2009 Philippine Bar Exams:
1] YEBRA, REINIER, 84.800, San Beda
2] TAPIC, CHARLENE MAY, 84.600, San Beda
3] LIM, JOHN PAUL , 84.500, Ateneo Law
4] LAGOS, CAROLINE, 84.400, UP Law
5] TAN, ERIC DAVID, 84.050, Ateneo Law
6] GONZALEZ, YVI RANDOLF, 83.900, Ateneo Law
7] TO, JOAN MAE, 83.650, Ateneo Law
8] BAGRO, HERMINIO III, 83.400, UP LAw
9] LUMAUIG, TIMOTHY JOSEPH, 83.200, Ateneo Law
10] BAINTO, NAELLA ROSE, 83.100, Ateneo Law
10] GO, SHIELA ABIGAIL, 83.100, Ateneo Law
