SC: 982 pass 2010 Bar exams, Ateneo law graduate tops list

(Updated 9:45 p.m.) The Supreme Court announced on Thursday that only 982 out of 4,847 examinees passed the 2010 Bar examinations, bringing the passing rate to 20.26 percent, the second lowest in the last 10 years. CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF THE 2010 BAR EXAMINATION PASSERS Oath-taking of the successful Bar examinees is on April 14, 2011, at the Philippine International Convention Center. The passers were part of the examinees who took last year’s controversial Bar exam which was marred by a grenade explosion that injured some 50 people. The passing rate for the 2010 Bar exam is lower than the 24.5 percent passing rate in 2009. The passers received a mark higher than 72.5 percent. Last year, the passing mark was 71 percent. The passing rate for 2010 is also the second lowest in the past decade – next only to 2002 when only 19.68 percent passed the Bar exams.

1. Cesareo Antonio S. Singzon Jr Ateneo de Manila University 89.000	2. Filemon Ray L. Javier Ateneo de Manila University 86.850	3. Paolo Carlo C. Tolentino Arellano University 86.800
4. Janette R. Ancog Ateneo de Davao University 85.900	5. Johanna Sunga Ateneo de Manila University 85.850	6. Krizelle Marie F. Poblacion University of the Philippines 85.650
7. Maria Christina C. Ortua University of the Philippines 85.50	7. Krystal Lyn T. Uy University of the Philippines 85.50	8. Johanna Eileen M. Capones University of the Philippines 84.800
9. Wiliam Benson S. Gan Ateneo de Manila University 84.750	10. Glenn C. Carampatana University of San Carlos 84.550	10. Darren L. Salipsip Arellano University 84.550

Top 10 The top 10 bar examinees are: 1. Cesareo Antonio S. Singzon, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), 89.000 2. Filemon Ray L. Javier, ADMU, 86.850 3. Paolo Carlo C. Tolentino, Arellano University, 86.800 4. Janette R. Ancog, Ateneo de Davao University, 85.900 5. Johanna Sunga, ADMU, 85.850 6. Krizelle Marie F. Poblacion, University of the Philippines, 85.650 7. Maria Christina C. Ortua, UP, 85.50 Krystal Lyn T. Uy, UP, 85.50 8. Johanna Eileen M. Capones, UP, 84.800 9. Wiliam Benson S. Gan, ADMU, 84.750 10. Glenn C. Carampatana, University of San carlos, 84.550 Darren L. Salipsip, Arellano University, 84.550 Percentage of passers Below is a summary of the percentage of passers since the 2000 Bar exams.

YEAR	TOTAL NO. OF EXAMINEES	TOTAL NO. OF PASSERS	PERCENTAGE
2009	5,903	1,451	24.5
2008	6,364	1,310	20.58%
2007	5,626	1,289	22.91%
2006	6,187	1,893	30.60%
2005	5,607	1,526	27.22%
2004	5,249	1,659	31.61%
2003	5,349	1,108	20.71%
2002	4,659	917	19.68%
2001	3,849	1,266	32.89%
2000	4,698	979	20.84%

Gender breakdown The latest results have an equal number of men and women in the top 10. From 2000 to 2010, 60 women and 49 men made it to the top 10 Bar passers. In five of those 10 years, there were more women than men in the top ten passers. These were in:

2008 (10 women out of 12 passers in the top 10);

2007 (nine women out of 12 top 10 passers);

2006 (six women out of 11 top ten passers);

2002 (six women out of 11 top 10 passers); and

2000 (seven women out of 11 top ten passers). In some years there are more than 10 examinees in the top 10 because some garner the same scores or are tied. New Bar exams rules for 2011 The high court conducts the Bar exams annually in accordance with Section 5(5), Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution, which gives the SC the power to “promulgate rules concerning… the admission to the practice of law." Last January, the SC released the new rules that would govern the conduct of the 2011 Bar examinations, to be chaired by Associate Justice Roberto Abad. In Bar Matter No. 2265, the high court also clarified how the Bar exams syllabus would be ‘re-defined’ as announced last November, as well as how to implement Abad’s earlier proposals on fielding multiple-choice questions instead of just essay questions. This year's Bar exams will be held in November on the University of Santo Tomas campus.
Bar exam blast On September 26, 2010, the last day of last year's examinations, a grenade-throwing incident injured around 50 people, mostly law students outside the venue. The incident was blamed on warring fraternities. For the 2010 Bar exam blast, the National Bureau of Investigation has filed multiple frustrated murder and multiple attempted murder charges against lone suspect Anthony Leal Nepomuceno of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity. The Department of Justice is still conducting a preliminary investigation on Nepomuceno, who has repeatedly maintained his innocence. 2009 Bar exams In the 2009 Bar exams, seven of those who made it to the top 10 came from the Ateneo School of Law. But the topnotcher that year came from San Beda. Ateneo also dominated the 2008 Bar exams, with five of its examinees making it to the top 10. The topnotcher that year came from San Sebastian College. – MRT/VVP/HS, GMA News