Philippine Bar Examination - Bar Topnotchers List - Famous Bar Topnotchers - Senators and Representatives

Senators and Representatives

• Manuel A. Roxas - former Philippine Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives; 1st placer, 1913 Bar Exams
• Manuel L. Quezon - former Philippine Senate President; 4th placer, 1903 Bar Exams
• Arturo M. Tolentino - former Philippine Senate President; 2nd placer, 1934 Bar Exams
• Ferdinand E. Marcos - former Philippine Senate President; 1st placer, 1939 Bar Exams
• Jovito Salonga - former Philippine Senate President; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams
• Neptali Gonzales - former Philippine Senate President; 9th placer, 1949 Bar Exams
• Rodolfo Ganzon - former Philippine Senator and Iloilo City Mayor; 2nd Placer, 1950 Bar Exams
• Ernesto M. Maceda - former Philippine Senate President; 10th placer, 1956 Bar Exams
• Franklin M. Drilon - former Philippine Senate President; 3rd placer, 1969 Bar Exams
• Lorenzo Sumulong - former Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1929 Bar Exams
• Jose W. Diokno - former Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1944 Bar Exams
• Renato V. Saguisag (Rene Saguisag) - former Philippine Senator; 6th placer, 1963 Bar Exams
• Aquilino Pimentel III (Koko Pimentel) - Philippine Senator; 1st placer, 1990 Bar Exams
• Sergio S. Osmeña - former Speaker of the House of Representatives; 2nd placer, 1903 Bar Exams
• Jose Y. Yulo - former Speaker of the House of Representatives; 3rd placer, 1913 Bar Exams
• Aguedo F. Agbayani - former Pangasinan Representative; 5th placer, 1947 Bar Exams
• Antonio Eduardo Nachura - former Samar Representative; 7th placer, 1967 Bar Exams
• Ronaldo B. Zamora - San Juan Representative; 1st placer, 1969 Bar Exams
• Prospero Nograles - Speaker of the House of Representatives; 2nd placer, 1971 Bar Exams
• Arturo D. Brion - Assemblyman, Philippine National Assembly; 1st placer, 1974 Bar Exams
• Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr. - former Tarlac Representative; 1st placer, 1989 Bar Exams
• José P. Laurel- former Senator; 2nd Placer 1915

Of the lawyers who became President of the Senate, only the following were bar placers: Manuel Quezon (4th in 1903), Manuel Roxas (1st in 1913), Ferdinand Marcos (1st in 1939), Arturo Tolentino (2nd in 1934), Jovito Salonga (1st in 1944), Neptali Gonzales (9th in 1949), Ernesto Maceda (10th in 1956), Franklin Drilon (3rd in 1969) and Juan Ponce Enrile (11th in 1953). Of the incumbent senators with terms expiring in 2013, five are lawyers (Ateneo Law School's Alan Peter Cayetano as well as Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Francis Escudero, and Francis Pangilinan of the UP College of Law) and none of whom were previous bar placers. Curiously, Aquilino Pimentel III of the UP College of Law (who is contesting the seat occupied by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri) placed 1st in the 1990 Bar Exams.

On the other hand, of those who became Speaker of the House of Representatives, only the following were bar placers: Sergio Osmena, Sr. (2nd in 1903), Manuel Roxas (1st in 1913), José Yulo (3rd in 1913) Querube Makalintal (7th in 1933) and Prospero Nograles (2nd in 1971). Of the chamber's other officers, only Ronaldo Zamora was a former bar topnotcher (1st in 1969).

Curiously, the incumbent heads of both houses of Congress were previous bar placers: Ateneo Law School's Nograles for the lower house and UP College of Law's Ponce Enrile for the upper house. After the 2010 elections, former Rep. Nograles (who did not run for re-election) was replaced by lawyer Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. (from Lyceum of the Philippines) as Speaker. Sen. Enrile retained his post as Senate President.