'I became a father at 19:' DA chief Laurel clarifies he did not finish university

MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture chief Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. clarified on Monday that he did not graduate from any higher educational institution, contrary to news reports that stated he graduated from the University of Sto. Tomas.

While Laurel said he would have wanted to earn a degree, he was not able to complete his university education "because I became a father at 19."

"I needed to work to support my eldest child. My father impressed upon me that my responsibility as a father comes first," Laurel said.

Laurel added that instead of studying, he went on to work in his family's seafood company Frabelle Fishing Corp., which he eventually became president of.

"Like many, I dreamt of wearing a toga and receiving a diploma. But that wasn't meant to be," said Laurel. 

"The sea became my university, experiences in life taught me the value of perseverance, my children gave me the courage and inspiration to get to where I am now."

In a report by UST's student publication The Varsiatarian, which cited the UST student registrar, Laurel did not graduate from the school's computer science program and did not attend any of its other undergraduate programs.  
 
This contradicts an official document submitted in 2016 to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Pure Energy Holdings Corp., where Laurel served as a director and shareholder, which said he "holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Santo Tomas."

RELATED: Tycoon-turned-DA-chief denies appointment is payback for Marcos campaign donation 

Upon his appointment as secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Laurel said that he had immediately divested from all the companies he owned.
 
During the 2022 national elections, Laurel donated at least P30 million in cash to Marcos' political party Partido Federal ng Pilipinas — the source of 40% of all of Marcos' declared campaign funds, according to a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report.