MANILA, Philippines – After failing the Bar Exams seven times, a government employee in Bicol receives the good news that he finally passed on his 8th try and is among the country’s 2,103 new lawyers.
Jaime Guerrero, 58, inspired many people with his story and proved that it is never too late to try to reach for your dreams because his road to becoming a lawyer took him 20 years to finally fulfill…
SEE ALSO: Woman who flunked 2018 Bar Exams, ranks No. 4 in 2019 Bar Exams!
Now a senior health program officer at the Department of Health (DOH) regional office in Bicol, Guerrero graduated in 1986 with a political science degree from the then Aquinas University of Legazpi (now the University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi) in Albay.
He found a job afterwards and started a family but would later enroll in Law School at his alma mater to fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer. It was back in 1996 when he first took the Bar Exam. He failed.
Despite failing on his first take, he tried again the following year but failed again. Then, he tried again in 1998, yet still failed.
After failing three times, Guerrero still did not give up. But he could not take the Bar Exams again unless he took a refresher course. Under the Rules of Court of the Philippines, a Bar aspirant can take the Bar Exams three times but has to take a refresher course after the third try before being allowed to take the test again. If they fail again, they have to take another refresher course.
So, Guerrero was not able to take the test in 1999 but tried again in 2000. Again, he failed on his fourth try. He took the refresher course and took the test in 2002. Same story. He would try again in 2004 before seemingly giving up.
Then, in 2017, he was back. But he still failed.
“My grades pushed me to try and try. When I got a rating of 74.85 in a previous exam, I worked harder,” Guerrero shared.
That rating is just a few points shy of the 75% passing mark. After taking special classes in 2017 and in 2019 at UST-Legazpi, he finally made it! He recalled that his five kids were still small when he began taking the Bar exams but they are now all adults and were even the ones who financed his refresher course.
“It’s never too late for me. If you don’t even try, you will never succeed,” Guerrero said.
SEE ALSO: After failing the 2018 Bar Exam, 89-year-old retiree tries again
The new lawyer also shares the joy of his alma mater, not just in his passing but also because the Top 1 spot was clinched by UST-Legazpi law graduate Mae Diane Azores.
READ: 2019 Bar topnotcher also a CPA: "It’s for my parents and God"
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
Jaime Guerrero, 58, inspired many people with his story and proved that it is never too late to try to reach for your dreams because his road to becoming a lawyer took him 20 years to finally fulfill…
SEE ALSO: Woman who flunked 2018 Bar Exams, ranks No. 4 in 2019 Bar Exams!
Now a senior health program officer at the Department of Health (DOH) regional office in Bicol, Guerrero graduated in 1986 with a political science degree from the then Aquinas University of Legazpi (now the University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi) in Albay.
He found a job afterwards and started a family but would later enroll in Law School at his alma mater to fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer. It was back in 1996 when he first took the Bar Exam. He failed.
Despite failing on his first take, he tried again the following year but failed again. Then, he tried again in 1998, yet still failed.
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| Photo credit: Philippine Daily Inquirer |
After failing three times, Guerrero still did not give up. But he could not take the Bar Exams again unless he took a refresher course. Under the Rules of Court of the Philippines, a Bar aspirant can take the Bar Exams three times but has to take a refresher course after the third try before being allowed to take the test again. If they fail again, they have to take another refresher course.
So, Guerrero was not able to take the test in 1999 but tried again in 2000. Again, he failed on his fourth try. He took the refresher course and took the test in 2002. Same story. He would try again in 2004 before seemingly giving up.
Then, in 2017, he was back. But he still failed.
“My grades pushed me to try and try. When I got a rating of 74.85 in a previous exam, I worked harder,” Guerrero shared.
That rating is just a few points shy of the 75% passing mark. After taking special classes in 2017 and in 2019 at UST-Legazpi, he finally made it! He recalled that his five kids were still small when he began taking the Bar exams but they are now all adults and were even the ones who financed his refresher course.
“It’s never too late for me. If you don’t even try, you will never succeed,” Guerrero said.
SEE ALSO: After failing the 2018 Bar Exam, 89-year-old retiree tries again
The new lawyer also shares the joy of his alma mater, not just in his passing but also because the Top 1 spot was clinched by UST-Legazpi law graduate Mae Diane Azores.
READ: 2019 Bar topnotcher also a CPA: "It’s for my parents and God"
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
