Lorenzo Sumulong Sr. (September 5, 1905 – October 21, 1997) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served in the Philippine Senate for four decades, and as a delegate of his country to the

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. He was noted for having engaged in a debate with

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...

at the

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that (allegedly) provoked the

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Premier to bang his shoe on a desk.

Early life and education

Sumulong was born in Antipolo, Rizal on September 5, 1905 to politician Juan Sumulong and Maria Salome Sumulong. He was the third among eleven siblings; his younger sister Paz attempted to run for the Rizal provincial board under the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

in 1967, but failed to be elected. He finished law at the University of the Philippines College of Law and went on to top the 1929 bar examinations. In 1932, he obtained a Masters of Law degree from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

Political career

Sumulong began his political career as a municipal councilor in Antipolo. In the 1946 general elections, Sumulong won a seat in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

, representing the 2nd District of Rizal. In

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

, Sumulong was elected to the Philippine Senate. He won re-election to the Senate in 1955 and in 1961. He did not seek re-election in 1967, but would return to the Senate in the 1969 elections. In all, Sumulong remained in Congress for 24 years, initially under the

, but later under the Nacionalista Party. He served through the 1st Congress until the 7th Congress. During his 21-year stint as senator, Sumulong became the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accountability (also known as the Blue Ribbon Committee). Through that high-profile position, he investigated noted national controversies such as the Tambobong-Buenavista Estate deal and the Harry Stonehill scandals.

Faceoff with Khrushchev

Sumulong also served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, and in that capacity, he led a Philippine delegation to the 902nd Plenary Meeting of the

in 1960. During that meeting, Sumulong took the floor and delivered the following remarks challenging the

to allow the people of

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the free exercise of their civil and political rights. Khrushchev was incensed by Sumulong's remarks. He denounced the Filipino senator as "a jerk, a stooge and a lackey of imperialism". Khrushchev then took out his shoe, waved it at Sumulong, then banged the shoe on the desk in front of him. The following day, Khrushchev acknowledged that he had offended Sumulong but also asserted that he was likewise offended by the delegate from the Philippines.

Later life

Sumulong's service in Congress ended in 1972, with the abolition of the Philippine Senate upon the declaration of martial law by President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

. In 1987, President

Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...

named her maternal uncle Lorenzo (sister was Demetria Sumulong Cojuangco) to the Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986 that drafted the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Lorenzo is the father of Victor Sumulong, who served as congressman and mayor of Antipolo during the Estrada and Arroyo administrations.

Personal life

Sumulong was married to Estrella Rodriguez and had six children. By way of Francisco Sumulong (born 1695), Sumulong is the fifth cousin thrice removed of Senator Jose W. Diokno, a descendant of Doña Demetria Sumulong y Lindo who moved from Antipolo to Daraga, Albay and Governor-General Felix Berenguer de Marquina.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumulong, Lorenzo Presidents pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines 20th-century Filipino lawyers People from Antipolo University of the Philippines alumni Harvard Law School alumni 1905 births 1997 deaths Senators of the 7th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 6th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 5th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 4th Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 3rd Congress of the Philippines Senators of the 2nd Congress of the Philippines Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Rizal (province) Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians Nacionalista Party politicians Members of the Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986