Paulit-ulit na sinabi ni Jhenroniel “Roniel” Rhey T. Sanchez na isa siyang “very average student” kaya’t hindi niya inasahang magiging Top 1 siya sa 2025 Bar Exams.
Si Roniel, 31, ay nakakuha ng 92.90 percent average score.
Nagtapos siya mula sa University of the Philippines – College of Law sa Diliman, Quezon City, last year.
Ito rin ang kanyang first take ng bar exam, at nanguna siya sa 5,594 bar passers mula sa 11,420 examinees.
Lumabas ang resulta ng 2025 Bar Exams nitong Miyerkules, January 7, 2026.
Bukod dito, isa rin siyang licensed electrical engineer na nagtapos sa UP Los Baños noong 2017.
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JUST WANTED TO PASS
Kuwento ni Roniel, nakasakay siya sa jeep at pauwi sa kanila nung natanggap ang magandang balita mula sa tawag ng isang kaibigan.
“I’m honestly surprised because I wasn’t really intending, of course, na mag-top sa bar. So this all come a bit of a shock,” aniya sa isang interview.
“Surprised lang talaga ako. All I wanted was to pass the bar. Yun lang naman. I was very surprised na nag-Top 1 ako.”
Sinasabi daw siya lagi ng pamilya na gawin ang kanyang makakaya sa bar exams. At kung bumagsak man daw siya, puwede namang mag-take siya ulit.
Kaya sadyang hindi niya inabangan ang resulta, at sa halip, tinanggal pa raw niya ang internet connection.
Actually, pagkatapos daw ng bar exam, nawala na ito sa isip niya.
“Kung papasa ako o hindi, I didn’t really think about that because wala na sa akin iyon, e. Kasi ang responsibility ko noon is to answer the questions the best I can. And iyon naman ang ginawa ko.”
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WHY HE TOOK UP LAW
Wala ring dramatic reason si Roniel nang tanungin kung bakit siya kumuha ng law gayong isa na siyang licensed electrical engineer.
Aniya, mahilig lang siyang magbasa.
“We took [up] Engineering Ethics nung undergrad and that had been rather more interesting din para sa akin compared as to doon sa aking mga classes involving calculations,” paliwanag niya.
“I realized may reasonable chance pursuing law degree. Back when inisyu iyon, [I] took up PhilSAT, and then after that I took the LAE… one thing after the other happened…
“It sounds very simple, pero sometimes, simplest motivations are the best,” saad niya.
Ang PhilSAT ay tumutukoy sa Philippine Law School Admission Test, habang ang UP LAE ay UP Law Aptitude Examination.
Kumuha raw siya ng LAE noong 2019.
Kuwento pa ni Roniel, hindi na niya na-practice ang pagiging inhinyero pero, “I keep it updated.”
Jhenroniel Sanchez ON TAKING UP LAW AND REVIEW
Naging part siya ng night classes habang nag-aaral ng abogasya.
Sa umaga, nagtrabaho siya sa paralegal department ng isang firm sa Makati.
Aalis siya sa opisina ng 3:00 P.M., at magko-commute sa MRT para pumasok sa kanyang 6:00 P.M. class.
Matatapos daw siya dakong 9:00 P.M. at saka niya gagawin ang case digests or pagre-review.
Suwerte na raw kung magkaroon siya ng lima hanggang anim na oras na tulog.
Lahad pa ni Roniel, hindi raw siya yung nag-i-standout sa klase. Nag-fail siya pa nga raw siya sa subject na Civil Procedure.
“Not notable, I would say. Mostly average student lang naman ako in our block.
“There were really some good students sa block namin. I just intended to keep in the middle of the pact, essentially.”
Walang nakuhang award si Roniel noong nasa law school, pero miyembro siya ng Honor Society ng UP Law Order of the Purple Feather, na ang average grade requirement ay hindi dapat tataas sa 2.0 (1.0 ang highest grade).
Muling iginiit ni Roniel, “I consider myself really just the average."
Nagsimula raw siyang mag-review para sa bar mula April hanggang September 2025.
Nag-resign siya sa kanyang paralegal work at ibinuhos ang panahon sa pagre-review.
Araw-araw, tinatayang eight hanggang ten hours ang inilaan niya sa pagre-review.
“Iyon lang talaga ginawa ko for those months. I didn’t really leave much of the house nung nagre-review ako.”
Kapag kailangan daw niyang mag-break o mag-relax, nagvi-video games siya ng five to ten minutes o kaya ay tutunganga at walang anumang iisipin.
Ngayong isa na siyang professional lawyer, balak niyang mag-focus sa intellectual property law, at may preference daw siya sa corporate law dahil doon ang naging linya ng kanyang paralegal work.
Handa rin daw siyang tumulong sa bayan kung kinakailangan.
Jhenroniel Sanchez's WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Nang hingan ng payo ukol sa mga hindi nakapasa, sabi ni Roniel: “A lot of the times, personal hard work is not really enough.
“Ask for help kung kailangan. And more often than not, kailangan.”
Ang kanyang pagiging topnotcher sa bar exams ay hindi individual achievement.
Aniya, kinailangan niya ng tulong sa reviewers o kaya ay sa pagre-review.
Ang payo niya sa mga di nakapasa: “I honestly think that your stories would be more relevant than mine, because it’s more of a story of finding your way back again after suffering a setback.
“And my point of encouragement for that is setback is a natural part of life.
“Just because hindi ka pumasa ngayon, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. It’s a time for rest, reflect, ‘Ito ba talaga an gusto ko?’
"Setbacks would at least allow you to think on your next foot forward. And if you want to try again, do try again.”
Pagtatapos niya: “If someone like me could have [make it], which was a very average student in law school managed to pass, and much to his own surprise top the bar, then why not you? Kaya niyo din iyon.”
Aminado siyang hindi madali ang pagkuha ng law.
“Sabi nga nila, it’s not really for the faint heart.
“But again, considering na galing akong engineering, ‘tapos bigla akong nag-law school which is shocking, it’s certainly possible if you have the will tenacity for it.”
Bukod sa talino, kailangan ng “sheer endurance,” “motivation,” at “own methods” para makapasa.
“I wouldn’t call myself special na nagawa ko ito. Maybe just lucky, and hopefully, kayo din, e, maging lucky.”
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