Barristers from the provinces can beat Manila Law schools

The resultss of the 2019 Bar exams indicated that the traditional Bar topnotchers from UP and Ateneo don’t monopolize academic excellence. They always bragged before that there, in their famous Law schools, they teach Law “in a grand manner.”

USC was perhaps the first academic institution outside Metro Manila to make it to the Top 10 straight for the last five years. It was an unprecedented winning streak broken only this time. But next year, USC may claim the honor again. I conferred with my fellow Rondahanon, who placed second in the 2018 Bar, Atty. Marcley D. Natuel, a Carolinian, and he was quite disheartened by the results. But I told him that Dean Joan Largo will most probably stage a comeback by 2020 “in a grand manner.” The advantage of USC is that its Law school has a very young, passionate, and hardworking dean, a well-rewarded faculty and full-time students.

The UC College of law under former deans Adelino Sitoy and Dodong Estenzo used to produce Bar topnotchers with a grand reward from university president Atty. Augusto Go, Its current dean is also an excellent Bar achiever. But, modesty aside, history tells us that UV's Gullas Law School used to produce many Bar topnotchers before, including Atty. Teddy Almase, who placed fourth in the sixties, Atty. Emmanuel Pacquiao (not the boxer) who placed third in 1975. In fact, the founder of The FREEMAN, Atty. Paulino Gullas, garnered the first place way back. UV is the alma mater of former Supreme Court Justice Regino Hermosisima, former senator Boy Herrera, and founder of ALU-TUCP, the late Atty. Democrito Mendoza. And, of course, Congressman Eddie Gullas, among thousands of successful alumni.

Next year, the Bar exams will be held both in Manila and Cebu. This is very good news for the students from the Visayas and Mindanao. This means lesser expenses and more time to shuttle from home to the Bar site. This is also very good for Cebu-based Bar review centers as well as hotels and boarding houses. May I propose to the deans of all Law schools in the Visayas and Mindanao to join forces and prepare to prove, once and for all, that Visayas and Mindanao Law schools can top the Bar in a grand manner. We should tell that Comelec commissioner that we in the south are not children of lesser gods.

I am proud to be the longest-sitting faculty member of UE Law from 1987 up to the present. I am also a faculty of San Beda Alabang. The second-placer Princess Fatima Parahiman was my student in many subjects. I predicted she would excel in the Bar. This year's topnotcher is from Bicol, same with the third placer. Another topnotcher is from Baguio and one from Palawan. 2019 was the year of the “provincianos”. I remember that in the 1960s a hitherto unknown working student from the University of Bohol, Oscar Globasa topped the Bar, to the great consternation of students from UP and Ateneo, and the amazement and pride of Boholanos.

Bar topnotcher Marcley Natuel and I are writing a book, a review material for future bar Exams, designed to help Bar candidates from the provinces. We will try to unravel the secrets of teaching Law in a grander manner, without having to brag about it, much less to exclude others who are not from the imperious Metro Manila.