66 years after Cong Dadong, UST back on top

It was a long, dry spell for the law school of the country’s oldest university, but a coed of the University of Sto. Tomas’ Faculty of Civil Law has brought glory back to her alma mater by topping the 2002 Bar.

Arlene Maneja, 25, has reason to rejoice, being only the third UST law student to top the Bar and the next to do so after a self-made man who became president of the Philippines. Maneja can expect a big celebration at the UST law school for the honor she brought to her alma mater.

The last Bar topnotcher from UST was a laundrywoman’s son — the late President Diosdado Macapagal, father of President Arroyo. He did it in 1936, or 66 years ago.

Macapagal, the "Poor Boy from Lubao (Pampanga)" who was later called "Cong Dadong," went on to become the ninth president of the Republic.

The first UST Bar topnotcher was Roberto Concepcion, who did the feat in 1924. Since 1940, the Bar’s top 10 list has been P150,000."

UST said it plans to fete Maneja with a testimonial dinner and award her a P100,000 prize, but can no longer declare a school holiday because doing so would delay many scheduled activities at the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas — UST’s more formal appellation.

The others in the top 10 are Connie Chu (Ateneo), 90.4 percent; Eric Recalde (San Beda College), 90.3 percent; Ma. Ngina Teresa Chan-Gonzaga (Ateneo), 89.8 percent; Michelle Ann Juan (Ateneo), 89.8 percent; Dorothy Uy, (Ateneo), 89.5 percent; Maria Gracia Gamez (UP), 89.4 percent; Joel Emerson Gregorio (Ateneo), 89.1 percent; Rex Austria (San Beda), 89.05 percent; George Ortha II (San Beda), 89.0 percent; and Joseph Lyle Sarmiento (Ateneo), 88.75 percent.

The latest Bar ace offered her success to her family, friends and professors at UST, but she gave her most special dedication of her achievement to her mother, who passed away when she was a sophomore in law school. "I think she knows," Maneja said.

Her father, on the other hand, suffered a stroke five years ago and had to stay at home in Galas, Quezon City. Maneja is the only girl in a brood of six and is the first lawyer in her family and "in the clan, maybe."

Manteja is now part of the Siguion Reyna Montecillo Ongsiako law firm. She described herself as a late-bloomer who only began excelling academically in college and in law school.

Her achievement, Maneja said is due to her hard work and diligence in her pre-law studies. She graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Management from UST and proceeded straight to the UST Faculty of Civil Law.

"I’ve been studying a lot during my first four years. I told myself I was not supposed to depend on review to take the Bar," Maneja said. "I should know things already during my first four years (of college) because, I said, if I didn’t learn then, I probably won’t know anything during my Bar review."

Maneja finished her bachelor’s degree by capping it with a magna cum laude and was class valedictorian. According to her, there was so much pressure when her time to take the Bar came, because she was UST’s bet for a slot on the top 10.

"I feel vindicated," Maneja said of her topping the Bar and breaking the stranglehold on the top Bar slot by UP and Ateneo.

"I’ve always been telling people not to leave UST," she said. "You graduate from Ateneo and it’s all they ask of you. You go to a law firm and all they ask of you is to say the right thing — either you graduate from Ateneo or UP. Otherwise, if you don’t graduate from the so-called best schools, (you won’t get the job)."

"You go to Ateneo and UP and all you have to do is survive the four years and nothing else will be asked of you," Maneja said. "I wanted to prove that I can excel in UST Law. So, (they said), ‘let’s see if you can make it in the Bar. Let’s see where your philosophy gets you.’ It’s a principle thing — I want to be loyal to UST. I want to prove that it doesn’t really matter which school you come from. If you’re a good student, you will become a Bar topnotcher."

Maneja said she more than happy that her life’s philosophy proved to be right and brought her all the way to the top of the heap. She added that she finished high school in UST. She has dreamed of becoming a lawyer since her high school graduation, though her mother had wanted her to be a doctor — the UST Faculty of Medicine is known as one of the best medical schools in the country.

UST’s third Bar topnotcher was a member of the UST debating team and was touted as one of the best in her batch. Her team won in local and international debating competitions.

"Debating got me into argumentation," Maneja said. "I feel alive whenever I express my point of view, argue. So, I felt that where I’ll be (is) law. That’s why I took up law and continued debating."

Maneja hopes to serve in government in the near future, but wants to start her career in private practice.

"I heard people saying ‘Maneja, Maneja’ after the results came out. At first, I could not believe it, but when I realized it was true, I said that was it. My hard work paid off," she said.

The 917 new lawyers are expected to take their oath at 2 p.m. on March 19 at the Philippine International Convention Center.