Since about 1913, the Bar exam in the Philippines is among the news maker in country. The highlight of every bar exam results are the names of Bar topnotchers and the names of their respective schools. Today, topping the bar exam means fame, honor and good fortune for the persons and their alma matters.
It is interesting to note that at least three bar topnotchers had become Presidents of the Philippines namely Manuel Roxas, Ferdinand Marcos and Diosdado Macapagal. In the Congress and the Supreme Court, hundreds of Bar topnotchers assume high ranks. What is more interesting is that, almost every bar exam, only three schools always get the highest scores for more than a century, namely University of the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila and San Beda College.
I have no doubt that the students of these three consistent top law schools are very bright, hard working and deserving to get high scores. I also have no doubt that these three law schools are the best of the bests.
One thing I doubt is the consistency of these schools to dominate the highest score of bar exam for nearly a century. There are about 80 plus law schools in the Philippines reading and studying the same law, the same books, the same author. For these three schools to consistently dominate the topnotcher list in almost a century is very hard to believe.
I heard that Bar exam in the United States Bar exam do not post the names of topnotchers. You only get a "pass" or "fail" grade. I'm sure the United States Bar has strong reasons not to publish topnotchers. And I'm sure among the two reasons are (1) to prevent fraud and taking advantage of the fame as topnotchers and (2) not to over hype the result of the exam because an exam score does not determine the greatness of a person.
Here in the Philippines, our constitution prohibits the congress to declare or grant "royal title" to anybody. But the Supreme Court has a way to beat that prohibition. They can grant "royal titles" to people by making them topnotchers.
Philippines has been known for corruption since the time of Bar topnotcher president, Ferdinand Marcos. A very rich corrupt family would not mind paying 100 million pesos to make one of their family members become a Bar topnotcher. An honest but lowly paid Supreme Court Justice cannot afford to buy a brand new Toyota Sedan in cash from his own salary.
Get the picture?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
you are making serious allegations here. have you particularly tried to study law in the schools that you named? did you ever entertain the thought that the reason those three schools consistently top the bar is because they literally pound the law into their students?
If you call this allegation, so be it. Our Bar Exam system needs to be reformed. All summa cum laude Law graduates of these 3 top law schools can be easily outshined by an average UP law graduate who happened to impressed the bar examiners in one setting and become topnotcher of the bar exams.
For me what was written were all true.I constantly wonder why the three schools dominate the bar. The bar exam is the only exam where other schools cannot penetrate the top 1. Maybe there could be profiling of who would be the top one.
Post a Comment