For the second year in a row, a University of the Philippines College of Law graduate has topped the Bar Exam, the Supreme Court announced on Wednesday. 

Jhenroniel Rhey Timola Sanchez scored an impressive grade of 92.70 percent, narrowly edging out Spinel Albert Allauigan Declaro of the University of Santo Tomas, who was second with 92.46 percent.

Sanchez’s path to the top was as unconventional as it was inspiring. Before entering law school, he obtained a BS in Electrical Engineering degree from UP Los Baños in 2017, passed the licensure exam for electrical engineers, and gained professional experience in the energy and infrastructure sector, including a stint as project coordinator at ABB and an internship at the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

At the UP College of Law, Sanchez honed his skills in governance and regulatory work, first as a research assistant at the UP Law Center’s Information and Publication Division and later as a paralegal and legal officer for the Taguig Safe City Task Force and GVANY Consulting Philippines. 

His journey — from engineer to topnotcher lawyer — has been cited by the Supreme Court and the media as a prime example of how diverse undergraduate backgrounds are reshaping the Philippine legal profession.

The 2025 Bar exam also produced an impressive lineup of achievers in the Top 10, including Alaiza Agatep Adviento of UST in third place, Angelica de Castro Mitra of De La Salle-Lipa in fourth, and Marc Angelo Santos of UST in fifth. 

Other top finishers included Jeowy Loyloy Ompad of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Enrico Gabriel Paguia of Ateneo de Manila University, Johan Raphael Gata of UST, Marie Shantelle Sarmiento of UP, Richmond Lucas of University of La Salette, and Jusmin Teriann Yap of UP.

Among the passers were the children of DAILY TRIBUNE columnists — actor Jerico Alonso Antonio, son of Atty. Joji Alonso, and Enrique Miguel Se Martinez, son of Atty. Eduardo Martinez.

While UP produced the topnotcher, Ateneo de Manila University was hailed as the top-performing school with 104 passers out of 106 examinees, translating to a 98.11-percent passing rate. It was followed by UP, with 214 passers out of 221 examinees, UST with 104 out of 108, and Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation with 85 out of 106. 

Among smaller institutions with 51–100 examinees, Ateneo de Davao University achieved a perfect 100 percent passing rate, followed by De La Salle University and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

The 2025 Bar examination recorded higher ratings than the previous year, with 5,594 passers out of 11,425 takers (48.98 percent), compared with 3,962 out of 10,490 (37.84 percent) in 2024. The passing grade also edged up from 74 percent to 75 percent. 

Spearheaded by Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, the 2025 Bar exam was the largest in Philippine history in the number of examinees.

The oath-taking and signing of the Roll of Attorneys is set for 6 February at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, marking the official induction of a new generation of Philippine lawyers.