A graduate of Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) College of Law ranked fifth in the 2016 Bar Exams held on four Sundays of November last year at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila.
Garnering an average of 88.40 per cent, Atty. Justin Ryan Morilla, 25, passed the exam along with 23 other first time takers which made AdDU attain an outstanding 100 per cent passing rate for first time takers.
What the secret behind the success of the AdDU college of law in producing lawyers, many of them bar examination topnotchers like Morilla?
According to Atty. Manuel Quibod, Dean of AdDU College of Law, the law school’s faculty and facilities have made Ateneo different from other law schools in Mindanao.
“We have a good mix and combination of the faculty. Insofar as the subject covers, not necessarily the bar subjects, we have good professors for these subjects. It is not important na marami kang bright na students. Well, that counts but that is not that crucial and very important because there are some late bloomers, bloom later on. Medyo slow learner yan sila at first pero may drive yan sila later on sa start ng law school. It’s really with the faculty,” he said.
“Perhaps the school has good facilities. Nowadays, hindi na nag-aagawan doon sa Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA) because when a decision comes out, aantayin pa yung volume na yun na makarating sa atin sa Davao. Dati, sa Metro Manila yung unang nakaka-access pero ngayon, as long as may internet, okay na. Ngayon, the information is received real time.”
Atty. Melissa Suarez also added that the excellent teaching style and standards of former deans Atty. Epifanio Estrellado and Atty. Hidegardo Iñigo became the edge of the law school to prosper because these were carried over by present faculty members.
Out of 32 aspiring lawyers who took the bar, among those who passed were 24 first-time takers and five repeaters, making Ateneo achieve an overall passing rate of 90.63 per cent.
Aside from Morilla, the other AdDU bar test passers arer Rhoda Alvar, Christian Arias, Alexis Barrera, James Bernal, Alain Brigoli, Celeste Camello, Christian Centina, Venus Cuabo, Annalene Dacumos, Rizaida Diesto, Joahna Domingo, Kyrie Genolos-Montemayor, Marnelli Jamison, Queenie Leguin, Antonette Lim, Ralph Mendoza, Sigrid Kim Mier, Ralph Palmera, AmelouPelonio, Gavino Quibo, Jesse Mari Santos, Renie Jay Soriano, William Uy Jr., Guillermo Villamil Jr., and Reina Rea Zozobrado.
This year, 3,747 out of 6,254 examinees successfully passed the bar exam announced on May 3 by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
The top 10 in the bar are Karen Mae Calam, from the University of San Carlos with a passing rate of 89.05 percent; Alanna Gayle Ashley Khio, Silliman University (88.95 percent); Fiona Cristy Lao, University of San Carlos (88.80 percent) and Athalia Liong, Andres Bonifacio College (88.80 percent) who both tied in the third place; Allana Mae Babayen-On, University of San Agustin (88.75 percent); Justin Ryan Morilla, Ateneo de Davao University (88.40 percent); Mark Dave Camarao, Northwestern University (88.10 percent); Anne Margaret Momongan, University of San Carlos (87.80 percent); Jefferson Gomez, University of San Carlos (87.70 percent); Nia Rachelle Gonzales, University of Batangas and Marie Chielo Ybio, Silliman University (87.50 percent), both tied in the ninth place; and Andrew Stephen Liu, Silliman University (87.45 percent).
Successful lawyers will be taking oath on May 22 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
