The Honorable Jose B. Laurel Jr.
9th and 12th Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
In office February 2, 1967 – April 1, 1971
Preceded by	Cornelio Villareal
Succeeded by	Cornelio Villareal
In office January 25, 1954 – December 30, 1957
Preceded by	Eugenio Pérez
Succeeded by	Daniel Z. Romualdez
Minority Leader of the Regular Batasang Pambansa
In office July 23, 1984 – March 25, 1986
Preceded by	Hilario Davide Jr. (as Minority Leader of the Interim Batasang Pambansa)
Succeeded by	Rodolfo Albano (as House Minority Leader)
House Minority Leader
In office January 17, 1966 – December 30, 1969
Preceded by	Daniel Z. Romualdez
Succeeded by	Justiniano Montano
In office December 30, 1949 – December 30, 1953
Preceded by	Cipriano Primicias Sr.
Succeeded by	Eugenio Pérez
Member of theRegular Batasang Pambansa fromBatangas
In office June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 Serving with Manuel Collantes,Hernando Perez, and Rafael Recto
Member of theHouse of Representatives fromBatangas'3rd district
In office December 30, 1961 – September 23, 1972
Preceded by	José Macario Laurel IV
Succeeded by	District abolished (Next held by Milagros Laurel-Trinidad)
In office June 11, 1945 – December 30, 1957
Preceded by	District re-established (Previously held byMaximo Kalaw)
Succeeded by	José Macario Laurel IV
Member of theNational Assembly fromBatangas
In office September 25, 1943 – February 2, 1944 Serving with Maximo Malvar
Personal details
Born	José Bayani Laurel Jr. y Hidalgo (1912-08-27)August 27, 1912 Tanauan,Batangas,Philippine Islands
Died	March 11, 1998(1998-03-11) (aged 85) Manila,Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Political party	Nacionalista (1941-1942; 1945–1998)
Other political affiliations	UNIDO (1980–1988) KALIBAPI (1942–1945)
Spouse	Remedios Lerma
Relations	Laurel family
Children	3
Parent(s)	Jose P. Laurel Pacencia Laurel
Alma mater	University of the Philippines Diliman (LL.B)
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer

José Bayani "Pepito" Hidalgo Laurel Jr.^[1] (August 27, 1912 – March 11, 1998), also known asJose B. Laurel Jr., was aFilipino politician and lawyer who was elected twice asspeaker of theHouse of Representatives of the Philippines. A stalwart of theNacionalista Party, he was the party's candidate for the country'svice president in the1957 elections.

Laurel was born on August 27, 1912, inTanauan,Batangas, the eldest son ofJose P. Laurel, who would serve aspresident of the Philippines from 1943 to 1945, andPacencia Hidalgo Laurel. His brother,Salvador, would become vice-president in 1986,Sotero would be elected as asenator in 1987. Another brother,Jose S. Laurel III, served as ambassador to Japan. His youngest brother,Arsenio, was the first two-time winner of theMacau Grand Prix.

Laurel finished his intermediate and secondary education inManila, and enrolled at theUniversity of the Philippines. In 1936, he received his law degree from theU.P. College of Law and passed thebar exams the following year. There, he served as president of the U.P. Student Council and captain of the university's debate team. He was a member of theUpsilon Sigma Phi fraternity.

In1941, Laurel won his first election, as a member of the House of Representatives from the3rd district ofBatangas. However, his term was deferred by theJapanese invasion in late 1941.^[2] For the duration of the war, Laurel assisted his father, who was designated aspresident of the Philippines under theSecond Philippine Republic, and served as a representative for the at-large district of Batangas in theNational Assembly from 1943 to 1944.

Beginning in March 1945, Laurel, together with his family,Camilo Osías,Benigno Aquino Sr., General Tomas Capinpin, andJorge B. Vargas evacuated toBaguio. Shortly after the city fell, they traveled toTuguegarao, where they embarked on abomber plane toJapan viaFormosa (nowTaiwan) andShanghai,China.^[3] On September 15, days after Japan formallysurrendered to the United States, his father, his brother Jose III, and Aquino were arrested by a group of Americans headed by a Colonel Turner for collaborating withImperial Japan and were imprisoned in Japan. He later joined the rest of the Laurel family in flying back toManila on November 2.^[4]

Laurel's term as representative for the 3rd district of Batangas began only in 1945. When the Philippine Congress was restored upon independence in 1946, he again sought election to theHouse of Representatives representing the 3rd district of Batangas. He was successful in his bid, having been re-elected to thesecond andthird congresses. In 1954, he was elected to his first term as speaker of the House. He decided not to seek re-election for his seat in the House in1957 as he was drafted instead to run for vice president under the Nacionalista ticket spearheaded by PresidentCarlos P. Garcia. He was defeated byPampanga 1st district RepresentativeDiosdado Macapagal of theLiberal Party even as Garcia went on to victory.

In 1961, Laurel regained his seat in the House of Representatives and would serve in that capacity untilmartial law wasdeclared in 1972. During his tenure as congressman, Laurel had a residence inMandaluyong,Rizal.^[5] Laurel was among those who, in 1965, recruitedSenate presidentFerdinand Marcos to join the Nacionalista Party as its presidential candidate against Diosdado Macapagal. He was again elected speaker in February 1967 and remained in that position until 1971, whenCornelio Villareal (Capiz–2nd) of the Liberal Party regained the speakership.^[6] During his congressional career, Laurel focused on economic issues. He was an advocate of aplanned economy andprotectionism.^[6]

On the evening of October 9, 1967, Laurel was dining with his aide at Maxim's Supper Club & Steak House inPasay City when he was shot twice by an assailant, with bullets hitting his face and chest. His aide attempted to shoot back at the gunman who then fled the scene.^[7]

In January 1971, after PresidentFerdinand Marcos voiced the possibility of imposing nationwidemartial law in his sixthState of the Nation Address, Laurel voiced his opinion that a declaration of martial law would be "an admission of weakness" for his administration.^[8] Laurel's political career was halted after Congress dissolved due to theimplementation of martial law in September 1972. However, by 1981, he served as spokesperson of the newly-formed opposition party called theUnited Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), led by his brotherSalvador Laurel, alongsideLP PresidentGerry Roxas.^[9] He was laterelected as an assemblyman from Batangas in theRegular Batasang Pambansa in 1984, serving until 1986. He also became a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted the presentPhilippine Constitution.

Laurel had three children with Remedios Lerma: Jose Macario IV (1932–2025), Jaime ("Banjo", 1938–1970), and Milagros ("Lally", born 1941). Jose IV and Lally became members of the House of Representatives, representing the same seat their father had held.^[10] The actorNoel Trinidad was his son-in-law through Lally. Banjo was elected mayor ofTanauan, Batangas in 1967, but died in a helicopter crash inCamarines Sur on the evening of January 10, 1970.^[11][12]

Laurel died ofpneumonia at the age of 85 on March 11, 1998.

• Paras, Corazon L.; La Vina, Dean Karlo B. (1996).The Speakers of the Philippine Legislative Branch. House of Representatives of the Philippines.ISBN 971-92100-0-1.

• New York Times (1998-03-18). "Jose Laurel Jr., 85, Ex-Manila Politician".

• 1912 births
• 1998 deaths
• 20th-century Filipino lawyers
• Candidates in the 1957 Philippine vice-presidential election
• Children of presidents of the Philippines
• Laurel family
• Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Batangas
• Members of the National Assembly (Second Philippine Republic)
• Members of the Batasang Pambansa
• Members of the Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986
• Minority leaders of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
• KALIBAPI politicians
• Nacionalista Party politicians
• UNIDO politicians
• People from Mandaluyong
• People from Tanauan, Batangas
• Politicians from Batangas
• Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
• University of the Philippines College of Law alumni

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata