Lorenzo Sumulong

Lorenzo Sumulong (born September 5, 1905 in Antipolo City , Rizal , † October 21, 1997 ) was a Filipino politician .

biography

MP and Senator

Lorenzo Sumulung came from a respected family in Antipolo City. His grandfather Policarpio Sumulong was temporarily mayor of Antipolo. His father, Don Juan Sumulong, was Secretary of the Revolutionary Forces in Rizal Province during the Philippine Revolution in 1898, later a member of the Philippine Commission and also a Senator .

After attending elementary schools and high schools in Antipolo City and Manila , he studied at the University of the Philippines , where he obtained an Associate of Arts (AA) degree in 1926 . He completed a subsequent postgraduate study of law at the University of the Philippines in 1929 with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) magna cum laude and as the best of his year at the subsequent admission to the bar . He later completed another postgraduate course at the Law School of Harvard University , graduating in 1932 with a Master of Laws (LL.M.).

During his studies, he began his political career with the election to the city ​​council of Antipolo, in which he was elected with the best voting result. After working as a lawyer, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives in 1946 and represented the 2nd electoral district of the Rizal Province for a legislative period until 1949 .

After retiring from the House of Representatives he was first introduced in November 1949 to a member of the Senate voted and belonged to this re-election in November 1955, initially in 1961 until the dissolution of the Senate after the imposition of martial law by President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972 at.

During his long membership in the Senate, he was not only chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, but also chairman of the committee to investigate the Buenavista-Tambobong scandal . After examining it, the Senate decided to set up a public accountability committee called the Blue Ribbon Committee . From 1950 to 1952 he was the first chairman of this committee, which dealt with the investigation of bribery and corruption in the government.

Incident with Khrushchev at the UN General Assembly in 1960

Lorenzo Sumulong was a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in 1946, 1958, 1960, 1963 and 1965 . Here, the made first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev on October 12, 1960 to an incident in the UN General Assembly. During Sumulong's speech on decolonization and the civil and human rights situation in Eastern Europe , Khrushchev became furious and hit his table several times with one of his shoes. In his speech, Sumulong stated:

“My delegation, the Philippine delegation, attaches great importance to this issue called the ' Declaration on the Guarantee of the Sovereignty of Colonial Countries and Peoples', which is now being discussed.

We were a colonized country. We have gone through all the trials and tribulations of a colonial people. It took us centuries and centuries to fight, to wrestle, and to win our struggle for the recognition of our independence and therefore it is only in accordance with our history, our experience and our aspirations as a people that we vote for this topic in the highest Body, the General Assembly. While this is not the opportunity to discuss the substance of the matter, I would like to put my delegation's view on record, as well as the scope, extent, scope and limitations of this matter. We consider this necessary after considering the views made by the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the session . It is our view that the declaration made by the Soviet Union should apply not only to the inalienable right to independence for peoples and territories now under the rule of Western colonial powers , but also to the peoples of Eastern Europe and elsewhere who are free to choose were deprived of their civil and political rights and which were swallowed down, so to speak, by the Soviet Union. "

"My delegation, the Philippine delegation, attaches great importance to this item entitled 'Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples', the allocation of which is now under discussion.

We have been a colonized country. We have passed through all the trials and tribulations of a colonized people. It took us centuries and centuries to fight, to struggle, and to win our fight for the recognition of our independence, and, therefore, it would only be consistent with our history, our experience and our aspirations as a people that we vote in favor of having this item referred to the highest possible level of the General Assembly. While this is not the occasion to discuss the substance of the item, I would like to place on record my delegation's view on the import as well as on the scope, the extent, the metes and bounds of this item. We feel this to be necessary in view of the statements made at the start of our meeting by the Premier of the Soviet Union. It is our view that the declaration proposed by the Soviet Union should cover the inalienable right to independence not only of the peoples and territories which yet remain under the rule of Western colonial Powers, but also of the peoples of Eastern Europe and elsewhere which have been deprived of the free exercise of their civil and political rights and which have been swallowed up, so to speak, by the Soviet Union. "

Khrushchev was angry at Sumulong's execution and described him as a "fool, fool and lackey of imperialism ". Khrushchev then took his shoe, waved it at Sumulong, and then hit the shoe on his table. The following day, Khrushchev confirmed that he had insulted the Filipino delegate, but only because Sumulong had insulted him.

In addition, he was a representative of the Philippines at numerous other international conferences such as 1951 at the Inter-Parliamentary Union and 1954 at the Philippine Economic Mission .

Sumulong was again chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee from 1964 to 1972 . Between 1969 and 1972 he was finally President of the Senate pro tempore and thus representative of the Senate President in the event of his absence or illness.

In 1986 the distinguished former senator was still chairman of the executive committee for drafting the constitution of the Philippines .

His son Victor Sumulong was also a member of the House of Representatives and mayor of Antipolo City.

Web links

• Senate homepage

Individual evidence

1. ^ Historical Background of Antipolo
2. ^ Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee ( Memento from September 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ TIME MAGAZINE: UNITED NATIONS: The Thunderer Departs (October 24, 1960)
4. ↑ NEW STATESMAN: Nina Khrushcheva: The case of Khrushchev's shoe (October 2, 2000)
5. ↑ NEW YORK TIMES: Recalling Year of the Banging Shoe (December 5, 1988)
6. ↑ DIE ZEIT: Cold War. Did he strike? (September 10, 2010)