Sotero Cosme "Teroy" Laurel II (September 27, 1918 - September 16, 2009) was a Filipino

Filipino people

The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and educator who served as a Senator

Senate of the Philippines

The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...

 from 1986 until 1992, including a period as President pro tempore

President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines

The President Pro-Tempore of the Senate of the Philippines is the second highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines. During the absence of the Senate President, the Senate President pro tempore presides over the Senate....

 from 1990 until 1991. Laurel was the son of the former President of the Philippines

President of the Philippines

The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...

 José P. Laurel

Jose P. Laurel

José Paciano Laurel y García was the president of the Republic of the Philippines, a Japanese-sponsored administration during World War II, from 1943 to 1945...

 and the older brother of former Vice President

Vice President of the Philippines

-Description:The Vice-President is the first in the Philippine line of succession, assuming the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal by impeachment and subsequent conviction of the incumbent. The position was abolished by Martial Law in 1972, and was not included in the original text...

 Salvador Laurel

Salvador Laurel

Salvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...

. Laurel was nicknamed "Teroy."

Early life

Laurel was the third oldest son of former President José P. Laurel

Jose P. Laurel

José Paciano Laurel y García was the president of the Republic of the Philippines, a Japanese-sponsored administration during World War II, from 1943 to 1945...

, he is also the grandson of the late Sotero Laurel. He was born on September 27, 1918. He earned his law degrees from the University of the Philippines

University of the Philippines

The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...

. He later obtained a master's degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 from the University of Santo Tomas

University of Santo Tomas

The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...

. Laurel then went to the United States where he studied international

International law

Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...

 and constitutional law

Constitutional law

Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....

 at Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

and Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

.

Career

Laurel taught law at Far Eastern University

Far Eastern University

Far Eastern University in the University Belt area, West Sampaloc, City of Manila, is a nonsectarian, private university in the Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 under the guidance of...

, the Philippine Law School, and Lyceum of the Philippines. Laurel served as the president of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) from 1963 to 1965. He also became the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lyceum

Lyceum

The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...

 of the Philippines University System. He was a 1986 recipient of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, which is bestowed on educators and academics.

As Senator, Laurel opposed the extension of the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...

 and the Clark Air Base

Clark Air Base

Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...

, leading to their closure in 1991. He was a member of the so-called "Magnificent 12" who voted against the extension.

Death

Sotero Laurel died of cancer on September 16, 2009, at the age of 90. He was survived by his wife, Lorna, their eight children, and two sisters - Rose L. Avancena and Nita L. Yupangco. Laurel was laid in state in Heritage Park in Taguig City

Taguig City

Taguig is a city in Metro Manila in the Philippines. From a thriving fishing community along the shores of Laguna de Bay, it is now an important residential, commercial and industrial center...

. Laurel was predeceased by his sister, Nene L. Guinto, and brothers former House Speaker José B. Laurel, Jr.

Jose Laurel, Jr.

José Bayani "Pepito" Laurel, Jr. , also known as José B. Laurel, Jr., was a Filipino politician who was elected twice as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines...

; former Vice President Salvador "Doy" Laurel

Salvador Laurel

Salvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...

; former Philippine Ambassador to Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 José S. Laurel III; banker, Mariano Laurel; and Arsenio "Dodjie" Laurel

Arsenio Laurel

Arsenio "Dodjie" Laurel was a champion race car driver from the Philippines. He was the first two-time winner of the Macau Grand Prix, winning it consecutively in 1962 and 1963.-Early Life:...

, a race car driver.