Philippine touch football player overcomes 2018 bar exam

MANILA, Philippines — When talking about the abilities of a person, it is usually a payoff between brains or brawn.

May 3 is a big day for national touch football athlete and law graduate Maria Rodelita Dublin: She is in Malaysia to compete in the World Cup. Meanwhile in Manila, the Supreme Court would announce if she would become a lawyer.

Roge wasn't in the country to witness her name being flashed among her fellow newly minted attorneys in the Supreme Court on Friday.

The San Beda Law graduate is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia representing the Philippines in the Touch World Cup.

At past noon, when the LED wall installed at the SC front yard started screening names of the Bar 2018 Bar passers, Roge’s name wasn’t on it.

Her mother said they didn't see Roge’s name on the screen when the SC PIO first showed the list of passers.

The SC Public Information Office later said they would pause the scrolling of names to update the list. 

“Kinakabahan na kami eh! Naiiyak na nga ako eh,” her father said, his eyes red from crying.

Roge’s youngest sister, who accompanied their parents, told reporters that they already found out through a text message that the athlete passed the exam.

But their parents waited until they saw their daughter’s name was flashed on the LED screen.

A graduate of San Beda Alabang, Maria Rodelita Roge now wears two hats — as a national athlete, and now one of the country’s 1,800 new lawyers.