UST grad tops 2023 Bar exams

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) graduate Ephraim Porciuncula Bie led the 3,812 new lawyers who passed this year’s Bar Examinations, the Supreme Court (SC) announced yesterday.

Associate Justice and 2023 Bar Exams Committee chairperson Ramon Paul Hernando 36.77 percent of the 10,387 examinees passed the tests, which is lower than last year’s 43.47 percent passing rate.

Bie topped the Bar exams with a score of 89.2625 percent.

In second place is Mark Josel Padua Vivit of Ateneo de Manila University with a rating of 89.1250 percent, followed by Frances Camille Altonaga Francisco of San Beda University with 88.9125 percent, Nathaniel Nino Alipio Tang of Aquinas-UST Legazpi with a rating of 88.6500 percent, and David Joseph Austria Flores of De La Salle University-Manila with a rating of 88.5500 percent.

The other top placers were Ralph Vincent Salvador Samaniego of the University of the Philippines who garnered a rating of 88.4750 percent, Bryan Gerard Tapnio Antonio of Ateneo de Manila University with 88.3125, Paulo Batulan of the University of San Jose Recoletos-Cebu and Pio Vincent Roura Buencamino of the University of Sto. Tomas with ratings of 88.2500, Grace Abigail Morales Bautista of Angeles University Foundation School of Law in Angeles, Pampanga with 88.0625, and Jayson Ong Chan of Saint Paul School of Professional Studies and Zes Trina Banares Non of Aquinas-UST Legazpi with ratings of 88.0125 percent.

Among those who passed the exam was 62-year-old Rosuta Calacala, an employee of the local government unit of Jones town in Isabela.

Calacala passed the Bar exams on her first try, having entered law school at Northeastern College at the age of 58.

She said her law school study was financed by her children, two of whom were accountants.

“Magpapatuloy po ako sa paglilingkod sa aking mga kababayan sa Jones (I will continue to help my kababayans in Jones),” a teary-eyed Calacala told reporters at the SC compound in Padre Faura where the list of successful examinees was posted.

TOP LAW SCHOOLS

Hernando said the top five law schools with more than 100 Bar candidates were Ateneo de Manila University, with a 94.08 passing rate; San Beda University, with 92.20