LOOK: Bar Exams placer 'blessed' by 2016 topnotcher

CEBU CITY -- Marcley Natu-el, who placed second in the 2018 Bar exams, shared Sunday a photo of the 2016 Bar topnotcher "blessing" him 2 years ago.

The photo, first uploaded in July 2017, shows Karen Mae Calam with her hand hovering over Natu-el during an acquaintance party and recognition program for new lawyers.

"2016 Bar exam 1st place topnotcher blessing acquired: Confidence: +10, Inspiration: +20, Destiny: +100 ," Natu-el captioned the photo, ending it with the hashtag #Tuontatuon or "study now, study."

Natu-el told ABS-CBN News that Calam was his former boss in an auditing firm in Cebu. Both were certified public accountants before taking the bar.

Their photo, Natu-el said, was taken during his fourth year in law school.

Calam and Natu-el graduated from the University of San Carlos, alma mater of 3 others in the top 10 of last year's Bar exams.

"When I started law school, I always sought advice on the subjects and teachers. Then, when I had my review, I also followed what they told me, including the materials they used," Natu-el said in the local dialect.

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Sean James Borja, a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, topped the roster of 1,800 who passed the 2018 bar exams.

The Supreme Court said 22.07 percent of some 8,155 candidates passed the tough exams, lower than last year’s 25.5 percent.

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