Calam tops bar, no law school from Manila in top 10

May 3, 2017

Karen Mae Calam of the University of San Carlos topped the 2016 bar exams, towing nine other topnotchers from law schools from Visayas and the Mindanao. No graduate from the big law schools from Luzon  led by University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila and University of Santo Tomas was in the top 10 finishers. Calam’s university had three others in the top 10 while Siliman University had three in the top 10. A total of 6,344 graduates took the exams held last November at UST, with 3,747 passing. “I congratulate and doff my hat to the 3,747 successful candidates,” said Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr as he announced the results in TV. “Mabuhay po silang lahat. They deserve to be members of the prestigious legal profession.” Malacanang congratulated the country’s new lawyers. In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella urged the 2016 bar examinations passers to work in government. "Congratulations to the 3,747 examinees who passed the 2016 Bar Examinations," he said. "We pray that many of the successful examinees would pursue a career in government and join us in building a progressive and inclusive nation with a trustworthy government run by young people full of idealism, integrity and excellence," Abella said. The number of bar passers is equivalent to 59.06 percent of all the 6,344 who took the examinations last year. (DMS/Celerina Monte)