Every year, thousands of aspiring lawyers await one of the most significant moments of their professional lives – the release of the Philippine Bar Examination results. Families gather, law schools celebrate, social media erupts with congratulatory messages and a select few individuals earn a distinction that places them among the highest-performing examinees in the country – the Bar topnotchers.
For many Filipino, Bar ratings and the list of topnotchers represent excellence, intelligence, and the culmination of years of sacrifice. The fascination with Bar topnotchers is understandable. Achieving one of the highest scores among thousands of examinees requires extraordinary discipline, mastery of legal principles, analytical skill, and perseverance. Behind every topnotcher is a story of sleepless nights, financial struggles, personal sacrifices, and unwavering determination.
This fascination – some would even say obsession – with Bar ratings once again surfaced during the impeachment trial of VP Sarah Duterte. A member of her defense panel emphasized that the Vice President obtained a Bar Examination rating of more than eighty (80) percent, suggesting that such a mark places her above a considerable number of members of the legal profession.
To be sure, a high Bar rating is a commendable achievement. Yet, it is equally true that a Bar examination score does not, by itself guarantee success, and excellence in legal practice or public service. Nevertheless, history demonstrates that many of the individual who have profoundly shaped Philippine laws, governance, and national development were Bar topnotchers or among the highest performer in the Bar examinations.
To begin with, two of the examinees of 1901 Bar – the first Bar Examination in the Philippines – became president of the Philippines. Sergio Osmena who attained the second highest rating with 95.66% and Manuel L. Quezon with 87.83 who ranked fourth. Moreover, out the seventeen (17) presidents the Philippines had, nine (9) were lawyers. Manuel L. Quezon, Jose P. Laurel, Sergio Osmeña, Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, Carlos P. Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal, Ferdinand E. Marcos, and Rodrigo Roa Duterte. And, out of the nine (9) Philippine presidents that are lawyers, eight (8) were topnotchers of their respective bar examinations. President Ferdinand E. Marcos was also claimed to be the person who have attained the highest bar examination in history with 98.8%. However, because of such high score, suspicions, and cheating allegations arose thus, he was asked to redo the examination and was only obtained an average of 92%. Officially, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Florenz D. Regalado held the record scoring of 96.7% in the 1954 Bar.
Other notable bar examination topnotchers are: Senator Jovito Salonga, Senator Jose Diokno, Senator Franklin Drilon, Senator Leila De Lima, Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro, PAO Chief Persida Acosta, Justice Antonio Carpio, Justice Presbitero Velasco, Justice Lucas Bersamin, and Justice Cecilia Munoz-Palma. All the above-mentioned held or are currently holding high position in the government and had contributed massively in shaping our nation. Justice Cecilia Munoz-Palma was the second woman to top the bar with a rating of 89.4% in 1937. She was the first woman to become a Justice of the Supreme Court.
Nonetheless, the legal profession ultimately demands qualities that transcend academic achievement. Integrity remains more important than intellect. Sound judgment is often more valuable that technical brilliance. A lawyer entrusted with the rights, liberties and interests of others must possess not only legal knowledge but also profound sense of responsibility and ethical commitment. These attributes are cultivated through experience, reflection and service rather than through examination performance alone.
As a final note, the true measure of a lawyer is found not only in examination results but in a lifetime of service, integrity, competence and contributions to society. While a Bar rating may open doors and attract attention, it is ultimately a lawyer’s conduct, accomplishment and commitment to justice that determine whether he or she will leave a lasting and meaningful legacy.