Bar topnotchers in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

are bar examinees who garnered the highest

bar exam A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...

grades in a particular year. Every year, the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

releases the bar top ten list. The list contains the names of bar examinees who obtained the ten highest grades. It is possible for more than ten examinees to place in the top ten because numerical ties in the computation of grades usually occur.List of Bar Topnotchers from 1913 to 2006, Office of the Bar Confidant, Supreme Court of the Philippines.

Overview

From 1913 to 2024, schools which have produced bar topnotchers (1st placers) are as follows: Two bar examinees topped the bar exams without officially graduating from any Philippine law school: *

Jose W. Diokno Jose Wright Diokno (; February 26, 1922 – February 27, 1987), also known as "''Ka Pepe''," was a Filipino statesman, nationalist, and lawyer. Regarded as the "Father of Human Rights" in the country, he served as a Senator of the Philippi ...

– former Senator of the Philippines; 1st placer, 1945 bar exams. Diokno Sr., who tied for Number One with former Senate President Jovito Salonga in the 1945 Bar Exams, would have graduated from the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...

had not World War II supervened. Mr. Diokno's success in the bar exams is further underscored by the fact that he was also under-ageManila Times, April 12, 2008 and that he also placed number 1 in the 1940 CPA Board exams which he took while in law school, summa cum laude after graduating from then De La Salle College at the age of 17. This double number 1 feat may never be paralleled. The closest may have been Cesar L. Villanueva (from the Ateneo Law School) who placed second in the 1981 Bar Exams and sixth place in the 1982 CPA Board Exams and Reginald Laco (from the De La Salle Lipa Law School) who placed fourth in the 2015 Bar Exams and second in the 2009 CPA Board Exams. * Carolina C. Griño-Aquino – former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; 1st placer, 1950 bar exams. Ms. Aquino (who later became the wife of Mr. Ramon Aquino, 6th placer in 1939 Bar Exams) was a special student of the UP College of Law, where she finished her last two years of law school having taken her first two years of law school at the Colegio de San Agustin in Iloilo. Ms. Aquino was advised to take her last two years of law school in UP by Colegio de San Agustin Law Dean Felipe Ysmael. Coincidentally, Mr. Ysmael (a UP Law graduate himself) placed number 1 in the 1917 Bar Exams. Since Ms. Aquino only took her last two years of law at UP, she can't be certified as an official UP law graduate. Both spouses Aquino (in addition to being topnotchers) also served as Justices of the Supreme Court. In the past, non-law school graduates were allowed to take the bar. However, the Revised Rules of Court and Supreme Court Circulars allow Filipino graduates of Philippine law schools (and subject to certain conditions, Filipino graduates of foreign law schools) to take the bar, necessarily excluding non-law graduates and foreigners who have law degrees from taking part in the exercise.Section 5, Rule 138, Revised Rules of Court. While not a guarantee for topping the bar, academic excellence in law school is a good indicator of an examinee's fortune in the bar exams. Ateneo Law School's only summa cum laude graduate, Claudio Teehankee, placed number one in the 1940 Bar Exams. It is worth noting that Teehankee's son, Manny Teehankee, followed in his footsteps by graduating at the top of his Ateneo Law School class (albeit, not as summa cum laude) and placing first in the 1983 bar exams. Claudio's nephew, Enrique (a cum laude graduate from the UP College of Law), also placed number one in the 1976 bar exams. Claudio eventually became Supreme Court Chief Justice, Manuel was formerly Department of Justice Undersecretary and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland while Enrique is a successful private practitioner. This father-son-nephew feat has yet to (and, perhaps, may never) be equalled in the annals of Philippine Bar. For siblings, the closest is when Manuel B. Zamora, Jr. placed third in the 1961 Bar Exams and younger brother

Ronaldo Ronaldo is a Portuguese given name equivalent to the English Ronald. It became a common name in all Portuguese-speaking countries, also prevalent in other Romance countries. People Notable people known as Ronaldo include: Association footballe ...

placed first in the 1969 Bar Exams. The UST Faculty of Civil Law's sole summa cum laude graduate, Roberto B. Concepcion, placed first in the 1924 Bar Exams. He later served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The San Beda College of Law's sole magna cum laude graduate,

Florenz Regalado Florenz Dolendo Regalado (October 13, 1928 – July 24, 2015) was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, professor, and expert in criminal law in the Philippines. The 14th appointment by President Corazon Aquino, he se ...

, ranked 1st in the 1954 Bar exams with a mark of 96.70%. The record is the highest average in the Philippine Bar Examinations, to date. Regalado later served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The

UP College of Law The University of the Philippines College of Law (often referred to as UP Law) is the law school of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Formally established in 1911 in UP Manila, it is the third oldest continually-operating law school in ...

(which has yet to produce a summa cum laude graduate) had five of its seventeen magna cum laude graduates (the College of Law first conferred the honor to Rafael Dinglasan in 1925 and, to date, last conferred the same honor to Dionne Marie Sanchez in 2007) place number one in their respective bar exams: Rafael Dinglasan in 1925,

Lorenzo Sumulong Lorenzo Sumulong Sr. (September 5, 1905 – October 21, 1997) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served in the Philippine Senate for four decades, and as a delegate of his country to the United Nations. He was noted for having engaged in ...

in 1929, Deogracias Eufemio in 1962, Roberto San Jose in 1966 and Ronaldo Zamora in 1969. Dinglasan became a Judge of the Court of First Instance of Manila; Sumulong became Senator of the Republic and a renowned statesman; Eufemio became a known corporate lawyer appearing in court; while San Jose established his successful private law firm Castillo, Laman, Tan, Pantaleon & San Jose. Zamora became

Executive Secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derive ...

to then President

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...

and Minority Leader in the House of Representatives.

Bar Topnotchers list

The Office of the Bar Confidant releases an official Bar Topnotchers list together with the list of names of all successful bar examinees. The ''Bar Topnotchers list'' contains the names of the candidates who garnered the highest general averages in the bar exam for that year. The highest ranking candidate in the list is known as the bar topnotcher. The list has always been the subject of much media attention and public speculation."Results of the Philippine Bar Exams." '' TV Patrol World'',

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, March 2006. Making a place in the list is widely regarded as an important life achievement, an attractive professional qualification, and a necessary improvement in a lawyer's professional and social status. Below is a listing of all 106 first-placers since the Supreme Court publicly released the list of topnotchers (from 1913 to 2019 and from 2022 onwards) and can be rearranged from highest to lowest in terms of rating obtained. Bar ratings are not exactly comparable from year-to-year as the difficulty of the exams varies through the years. Two bar examinations took place in 1946, first in August to cover the absence of the examination the previous year and in November for the present year. The same happened in 2022 to represent 2020-21 and 2022 later that year. There was a tie in first place in two occasions – in 1944 and in 1999. : Due to the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the Supreme Court En banc instituted bar reforms

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in conducting the 2020-2021 bar examinations, including: ::* Digitization and regionalization of the bar examinations. ::* Postponement of the bar examination to February 4, 2022, and February 6, 2022. ::* Reduction of Bar Coverage to 4 subjects - Laws pertaining to the State and Its relationship with its Citizens (formerly Political Law, Labor Law, and Taxation Law); Criminal Law; Law pertaining to Private Personal and Commercial Relations (formerly Civil Law and Commercial law); and Procedure and Professional Ethics (formerly Remedial Law, Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises). ::*Requirement of negative results for Antigen test and confirmatory RT-PCR test. : Declaration of bar topnotchers is suspended. Examinees who obtain 85% or higher shall be recognized for exemplary performance.

Highest and lowest topnotcher grades

Jose Hontiveros obtained an average of 98% in 1911. A standard was created in 1940, when Claudio Teehankee (future Supreme Court Chief Justice), from the Ateneo Law School, got a grade of 94.35% when he topped the examinations. This record was obliterated four years later in 1944 when

Jovito Salonga Jovito Reyes Salonga, Knights of Rizal, KGCR (; June 22, 1920 – March 10, 2016) also called "Ka Jovy," was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer and politician, as well as a leading opposition leader during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos from th ...

and

tied with the highest score of 95.3%. This was the first time that first place ended in a tie. When they took the 1944 Bar Exams, Atty. Salonga was an undergraduate at the UP College of Law while Atty. Diokno (future Senator) was an undergraduate of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law. After passing the bar, Atty. Salonga (future Senate President) went back to UP to complete his bachelor's degree in law, earning it in 1946. The only other instance of a tie at the first place in the bar exams was when Edwin Enrile (salutatorian of his Ateneo Law School class) and Florin Hilbay (an honor student of the UP College of Law) both garnered the same score in 1999. Atty. Enrile served as Deputy Executive Secretary to President Gloria Arroyo and as a Professorial Lecturer at the Ateneo Law School. Atty. Hilbay served as the Solicitor General from 2014 to 2016 and is the current dean of the Siliman University College of Law. After another four years, the "bar" was raised a few notches when Manuel G. Montecillo of the Far Eastern University Institute of Law got a grade of 95.50% when he bested all the bar examinees of 1948. The following year, another record was set when Anacleto C. Mañgaser, an alumnus of the Philippine Law School, got a grade of 95.85% when he topped the 1949 bar exams. The lowest grade was obtained by Ateneo Law School's Mercedita L. Ona, 83.55%, 2007, which erased the prior record of 84.10%, obtained by Adolfo Brillantes of Escuela de Derecho de Manila (now Manila Law College Foundation) in 1920. Atty. Ona was just the latest of women's first placers. In 1930, Tecla San Andres (an alumna of the UP College of Law and future Senator) broke the proverbial "glass ceiling" when she became the first woman to top the bar with a grade of 89.4%. Ameurfina A. Melencio (also an alumna of the UP College of Law and who later became a Justice of the Supreme Court) has the highest grade of all-female bar topnotchers in recorded history when she obtained a 93.85% rating in 1947.

Notable bar topnotchers

Prominent lawyers who made the ''bar top ten'' include:Faculty and alumni list, UST Faculty of Civil Law, June 2007.

Presidents and Vice-Presidents

* Manuel A. Roxas – fifth

president of the Philippines The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...

; 1st placer (92%), 1913 Bar Exams (UP) * Diosdado P. Macapagal – ninth president of the Philippines; 1st placer (89.85%), 1936 Bar Exams (UST) *

Ferdinand E. Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the country under ...

– tenth president of the Philippines; 1st placer (92.35%), 1939 Bar Exams (UP) *

José P. Laurel José Paciano Laurel y García (March 9, 1891 – November 6, 1959) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and judge, who served as the President of the Second Philippine Republic from 1943 to 1945, which was a Japanese ally during World War II. ...

– third president of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1915 Bar Exams (UP) * Elpidio R. Quirino – sixth President of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1915 Bar Exams (UP) *

Sergio Osmeña Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; zh, c=吳文釗, poj=Gô͘ Bûn-chiau; September 9, 1878 – October 19, 1961) was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the List of presidents of the Philippines, fourth president of the Ph ...

– fifth president of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1903 Bar Exams (UST) *

Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...

– second president of the Philippines; 4th placer, 1903 Bar Exams (UST) *

Carlos P. García Carlos Polestico Garcia (; November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971), often referred to by his initials CPG, was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the ...

– eighth president of the Philippines; 7th placer, 1923 Bar Exams (PLS) * Emmanuel N. Pelaez – sixth

Vice-President of the Philippines The vice president of the Philippines (, also referred to as ) is the second-highest official in the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the first in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is directly electe ...

; 1st placer, 1938 Bar Exams (UM) * Arturo M. Tolentino – former vice president of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1934 Bar Exams (UP)

Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Justices

* Jose Hontiveros - Associate Justice of the First Supreme Court; Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals; 1st placer, 1911 Bar Exams (University of Santo Tomas) *

José Yulo José Yulo Yulo Sr. (September 24, 1894 – October 27, 1976) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (May 7, 1942 – July 9, 1945) during the Japanese Occupation and was Speaker of the National Assembly of the Philippines ...

– 6th Philippine Chief Justice; 3rd placer, 1913 Bar Exams (UP College of Law) *

Ricardo Paras Ricardo Mercader Parás Jr. (February 17, 1891 – October 10, 1984) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from April 2, 1951 until February 17, 1961. Career He earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University ...

– 8th Philippine Chief Justice; 2nd placer, 1913 Bar Exams (UP College of Law) *

César Bengzon César Fernando Cabrera Bengzon (May 29, 1896 – September 3, 1992) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from April 28, 1961 until May 29, 1966. In November 1966, a few months after his retirement, he became the fi ...

– 9th Philippine Chief Justice; 2nd placer, 1919 Bar Exams (UP College of Law) *

Roberto Concepcion Roberto Reyes Concepcion (June 7, 1903 – May 3, 1987) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from June 17, 1966 until April 18, 1973. He is remembered in the history of the Philippine Supreme Court for protecting the in ...

– 10th Philippine Chief Justice; 1st placer, 1924 Bar Exams (UST Faculty of Civil Law) *

Querube Makalintal Querube Cortinas Makalintal (December 22, 1910 – November 8, 2002) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1973 to 1975 and Speaker of the Interim Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1984. Early life Makalintal was born ...

– 11th Philippine Chief Justice; 7th placer, 1933 Bar Exams (UP College of Law) *

Ramon Aquino Ramon Caguicla Aquino (August 31, 1917 – March 31, 1993) was the 15th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He was appointed on November 20, 1985, the last Chief Justice appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos. Personal lif ...

– 15th Philippine Chief Justice; 9th placer, 1939 Bar Exams (UP College of Law) *

Claudio Teehankee Claudio Ong Teehankee, CCLH ( zh, t=鄭建祥, s=郑建祥, poj=Tī Kiàn-siông; April 18, 1918 – November 27, 1989) was the 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1986 to 1988. He was also the most senior associa ...

– 16th Philippine Chief Justice; 1st placer, 1940 Bar Exams (Ateneo Law School) * Pedro Yap – 17th Philippine Chief Justice; 1st placer, 1946 Bar Exams (UP College of Law) * Andres Narvasa – 19th Philippine Chief Justice; 2nd placer, 1951 Bar Exams (UST Faculty of Civil Law) *

Artemio Panganiban Artemio Villaseñor Panganiban Jr. (born December 7, 1937) is a Filipino jurist. He served as the 21st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 2005 to 2007. Early life and education Panganiban was born on December 7, 1937, ...

– 21st Philippine Chief Justice; 6th placer, 1960 Bar Exams (FEU Institute of Law) *

– former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 2nd placer, 1915 Bar Exams *

J. B. L. Reyes Jose Benedicto Luis Luna Reyes (August 19, 1902 – December 27, 1994) was a Filipino jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1954 to 1972. After his retirement, Reyes became the first president of the Integrate ...

– former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 6th placer, 1922 Bar Exams *

Ambrosio Padilla Ambrosio "Paddy" Bibby Padilla (; December 7, 1910 – August 11, 1996) was a Filipino basketball player, lawyer, and an elected member of the Senate of the Philippines. He was one of the most important figures in Asian basketball developme ...

– former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 3rd placer, 1934 Bar Exams *

Cecilia Muñoz-Palma Cecilia Arreglado Muñoz-Palma (November 22, 1913 – January 2, 2006) was a Filipino jurist and the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the Philippines. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Ferdinand Marcos on October ...

– former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1937 Bar Exams *

Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera (born Ameurfina Aguinaldo Melencio; 11 May 1922 – 12 October 2020) was a Filipino lawyer who served as an Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court from 1979 to 1992. She was the second woman appointed to th ...

– former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1947 Bar Exams * Irene Cortes – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 9th placer, 1948 Bar Exams * Carolina C. Griño-Aquino – former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1950 Bar Exams *

Isagani R. Cruz Isagani R. Cruz (born 1945) is a Filipino writer and literary critic. Education Cruz earned his undergraduate degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1965. He later enrolled ...

– former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 8th placer, 1951 Bar Exams *

– former Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 1st placer, 1954 Bar Exams *

Adolfo Azcuna Adolfo Sevilla Azcuna (born February 16, 1939) is a Philippines, Filipino jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 2002 to 2009. He was a ...

– Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 4th placer, 1962 Bar Exams *

Antonio Eduardo Nachura Antonio Eduardo Bermejo Nachura (June 13, 1941 – March 13, 2022) was a Filipino jurist who was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He took his oath of office as Associate Justice on February 7, 2007, and occupied the ...

– Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 7th placer, 1967 Bar Exams * Presbitero Velasco, Jr. – Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 6th placer, 1971 Bar Exams *

Antonio Carpio Antonio Tirol Carpio (; born October 26, 1949) is a former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He was sworn in as a member of the Supreme Court by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 26, 2001, and served until h ...

– Philippine Supreme Court Justice; 6th placer, 1975 Bar Exams * Arturo D. Brion – Philippine Supreme Court Justice; former Philippine Court of Appeals Justice; 1st placer, 1974 Bar Exams *

Lucas Bersamin Lucas Purugganan "Luke" Bersamin (born October 18, 1949) is a Filipino lawyer and jurist who has served as the 40th executive secretary of the Philippines under President Bongbong Marcos since 2022. He previously served as the 25th chief just ...

– 25th Philippine Chief Justice; 9th placer, 1973 Bar Exams * Francis Jardeleza- 173rd Supreme Court Associate Justice and former Solicitor General; 3rd placer, 1974 Bar Exams

Senators and Representatives

* Jose Hontiveros - former Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1911 Bar Exams * Manuel A. Roxas – former Philippine Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives; 1st placer, 1913 Bar Exams *

– former Philippine Senate President; 4th placer, 1903 Bar Exams * Cipriano P. Primicias - former Philippine Senate Majority Floor Leader; 6th placer, 1923 Bar Exams * Arturo M. Tolentino – former Philippine Senate President; 2nd placer, 1934 Bar Exams *

– former Philippine Senate President; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams *

Neptali Gonzales Neptali Alvaro Gonzales (June 10, 1923 – September 16, 2001), better known as Neptali Gonzales, Sr., was a Filipino politician who served as the President of the Philippine Senate from 1992 to 1993, 1995 to 1996, and 1998. Early life and ...

– former Philippine Senate President; 9th placer, 1949 Bar Exams * Ernesto M. Maceda – former Philippine Senate President; 10th placer, 1956 Bar Exams * Franklin M. Drilon – former Philippine Senate President; 3rd placer, 1969 Bar Exams *

– former Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1929 Bar Exams *

– former Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams *

Rene Saguisag Rene Augusto Verceluz Saguisag (; August 14, 1939 – April 24, 2024) was a Filipino lawyer and politician. He served as a Senator from 1987 until 1992. Saguisag became a human rights lawyer from 1972 to 1986 during the Martial Law period and ...

– former Philippine Senator; 6th placer, 1963 Bar Exams *

Aquilino Pimentel III Aquilino Martin "Koko" de la Llana Pimentel III (; born January 20, 1964) is a Filipino politician and lawyer who has served as a senator of the Philippines since 2011. He has served as Senate minority leader since 2022 and previously served a ...

(Koko Pimentel) – Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1990 Bar Exams *

– former Speaker of the House of Representatives; 2nd placer, 1903 Bar Exams *

Jose Yulo Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...

– former Speaker of the House of Representatives; 3rd placer, 1913 Bar Exams *

– former

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

Representative; 7th placer, 1967 Bar Exams *

Ronaldo Zamora Ronaldo "Ronny" Bayan Zamora (born December 4, 1944) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who previously served as representative of the lone district of San Juan. He topped the bar exams in 1969 and was among the Ten Outstanding Young Men o ...

– San Juan Representative; 1st placer, 1969 Bar Exams *

Prospero Nograles Prospero Rafael Castillo Nograles (October 30, 1947 – May 4, 2019, ) also known as "Boy" or "Nogie", was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the speaker of the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2010. He was the first speaker fr ...

– Speaker of the House of Representatives; 2nd placer, 1971 Bar Exams * Arturo D. Brion – Assemblyman, Philippine National Assembly; 1st placer, 1974 Bar Exams * Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. – former Tarlac Representative; 1st placer, 1989 Bar Exams *

- former Senator; 2nd Placer 1915 *

Leila de Lima Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima (born August 27, 1959) is a Filipino politician, lawyer, human rights activist and law professor who is the representative-elect for Mamamayang Liberal, the sectoral wing of the Liberal Party. De ...

– former senator; former Secretary of Justice; former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson; 8th placer, 1985 Bar Exams

Appointees and career service officials

* Jose Hontiveros - Delegate, Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1934; 1st placer, 1911 Bar Exams *

– Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 1st placer, 1924 Bar Exams *

– Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 1st placer, 1929 Bar Exams *

Arturo Tolentino Arturo "Ka Turing" Modesto Tolentino (September 19, 1910 – August 2, 2004) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and diplomat who served as the Senate president and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. He was the vice-presidential running mate o ...

– Member, Philippine Civil Code Commission; former Minister of Foreign Affairs; 2nd placer, 1934 Bar Exams *

– Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 3rd placer, 1934 Bar Exams *

Diosdado Macapagal Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (; September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was a Filipino lawyer, poet and politician who served as the 9th President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the 5th Vice President of the Philippines, V ...

– President,

Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971 The Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971 was called to change the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines. The delegates were elected on November 10, 1970, and the convention itself was convened on June 1, 1971. It was marked by controver ...

; 1st placer, 1936 Bar Exams *

– President,

Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986 The Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986 was the constitutional convention tasked with drafting the present iteration of the Constitution of the Philippines in 1986. Sessions *Regular Session: June 2 – October 15, 1986 Legislation ...

; chairperson, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office; 1st placer, 1937 Bar Exams *

– former chairman, Presidential Commission on Good Government; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams *

– Chancellor, Philippine Judicial Academy; chairperson, Legal Publications Committee, Supreme Court Centenary Celebrations; 1st placer, 1947 Bar Exams * Andres Narvasa – chairman, Preparatory Commission for Constitutional Reform; 2nd placer, 1951 Bar Exams *

Gabriel Singson Gabriel dela Cruz Singson (18 March 1929 – 29 March 2016) was a Filipino lawyer and banker, who served as the first Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) from 1993 to 1999. He was the first Governor of the BSP after former Preside ...

– former Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines; 2nd placer, 1952 Bar Exams * Florenz D. Regalado – Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 1st placer, 1954 Bar Exams *

Jose Nolledo Jose Nergua Nolledo (born October 11, 1934) is a lawyer, constitutional law expert, and author in the Philippines. He was a member of the Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986 and a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. Early li ...

– Delegate, 1971 Constitutional Convention & Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 3rd placer, 1958 Bar Exams *

Haydee Yorac Haydee Bofill Yorac (; March 4, 1941 — September 12, 2005) was a Filipina public servant, law professor and politician. She was its first female acting chairperson (1990-1991). Early life Yorac was born on March 4, 1941, in the municipality ...

– former chairperson, Presidential Commission on Good Government; former Commissioner, Commission on Elections; 8th placer, 1962 Bar Exams *

– Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; 4th placer, 1962 Bar Exams *

Joaquin G. Bernas Joaquin Guevara Bernas SJ (July 7, 1932 – March 6, 2021) was a Jesuit priest, lawyer, college professor and writer who was Dean Emeritus of the Ateneo de Manila Law School in Makati, Philippines. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional ...

– Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission; Member, Feliciano Commission investigating the

Oakwood mutiny On July 27, 2003, the Oakwood mutiny was staged by a group of about 300 armed defectors from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala and Navy Lt. Senior Grade Antoni ...

; 9th placer, 1962 Bar Exam * Romeo C. de la Cruz—former Solicitor General; 9th placer, 1957 Bar Exams * Sergio A. Apostol – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel; 7th placer, 1958 Bar Exams *

– former Solicitor General; 7th placer, 1967 Bar Exams * Fulgencio S. Factoran, Jr. – former Executive Secretary; 9th placer, 1967 Bar Exams * Ronaldo B. Zamora – former Executive Secretary; 1st placer, 1969 Bar Exams *

Franklin Drilon Franklin Magtunao Drilon (; born November 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and former politician. He has served thrice as president of the Senate: in 2000, from 2001 to 2006, and from 2013 to 2016. Having also served as Senate president pro te ...

– former Secretary of Labor and Employment; 3rd placer, 1969 Bar Exams * Arturo D. Brion – Secretary of Labor and Employment; 1st placer, 1974 Bar Exams *

– former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel; 6th placer, 1975 Bar Exams *

Simeon Marcelo Simeon V. Marcelo (born October 21, 1953) is a Filipino lawyer and was the third Ombudsman of the Philippines. As the Ombudsman, he acted as protector of the people against the illegal and unjust acts of those who are in the public service. He i ...

– former Philippine Ombudsman; 5th placer, 1979 Bar Exams *

– former Secretary of Justice; former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson; 8th placer, 1985 Bar Exams * Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. – Secretary of National Defense; 1st placer, 1989 Bar Exams * Janet B. Abuel – Undersecretary, Department of Budget and Management; 1st placer, 1998 Bar Exams

Local officials

* Jose Hontiveros - former Governor of

Capiz Capiz (), officially the Province of Capiz (Capiznon language, Capiznon/Hiligaynon language, Hiligaynon: ''Kapuoran sang Capiz''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the central part of the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines ...

; 1st placer, 1911 Bar Exams *

Pablo P. Garcia Pablo Paras Garcia (September 25, 1925 – August 18, 2021) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who have been the patriarch of the Garcia political clan of Province of Cebu. He was a longtime congressman and governor. Early career A topno ...

– former Governor of

Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...

; 3rd placer, 1951 Bar Exams * Juanito Remulla, Sr. – former Governor of

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...

; 4th placer, 1956 Bar Exams *

Henry Villarica Henry Resurreccion Villarica (born August 5, 1945), also known as Atorni Henry, is a Filipino lawyer, businessman, and politician who is currently serving as City Mayor of Meycauayan. He previously served as Mayor from 2016 until 2019, and serv ...

– Incumbent Mayor of Meycauayan City; 1st Placer 1971 Bar Exams * Presbitero Velasco, Jr. – Incumbent Governor of

Marinduque Marinduque (; ), officially the Province of Marinduque, is an island province in the Philippines located in Southwestern Tagalog Region or Mimaropa, formerly designated as Region IV-B. Its capital is the municipality of Boac, the most popul ...

; 6th placer, 1971 Bar Exams

Academe

– former president, Ateneo de Manila University; Dean Emeritus, Ateneo Law School; 9th placer, 1962 Bar Exam *

Antonio La Viña Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular m ...

- former Dean, Ateneo School of Government; 3rd placer, 1989 Bar Exam *

– former Dean,

Far Eastern University Institute of Law The Far Eastern University – Institute of Law, also known as FEU Law or IL, is the Legal Education Board-accredited law school of the Far Eastern University. It is one of the four earliest institutes that comprised the university in 1934. FEU ...

; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams *

– former Dean, Far Eastern University Institute of Law; 9th placer, 1949 Bar Exams * Andres Narvasa – former Dean, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law; 2nd placer, 1951 Bar Exams * Cesar L. Villanueva – Dean, Ateneo Law School; 2nd placer, 1981 Bar Exams * Pablito V. Sanidad, Sr. -

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...

former Dean, University of Baguio School of Law; 8th placer, 1967 Bar Exams

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Bar Matters
on

Supreme Court of the Philippines The Supreme Court (; colloquially referred to as the ' (also used in formal writing), is the highest court in the Philippines. It was established by the Taft Commission on June 11, 1901, through the enactment of Act No. 136, which abolished th ...

Legal education in the Philippines