Cocoy Laurel Knew It’s Coming

ASIDE FROM BEING hectic, the past weeks had been pretty light and sort of mirthful for the iconic theater, film and television actor Victor Laurel.
This was according to a very close friend and business associate of the singer and arts patron.

Hectic as there were a lot of commitments and obligations he had to fulfill in just, more or less, two months.

Last April, he had to pay last respects to one of his best friends and perennial movie love teams, Nora Aunor who died of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) on Maunday Thursday.

LAST RESPECTS
Victor, also known as Cocoy Laurel, went in cane, limping and in hunchback posture to the Heritage Park and Crematorium in Taguig City to see and offer a little prayer to the National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts.

When fellow singer Dulce saw him, she quickly got near Victor, hugged him tightly and walked him to Nora’s casket.

At the time, the Laurels were also experiencing the same ordeal. Cocoy’s sister, Suzie Laurel-Delgado, passed on two days after Aunor’s demise.

Suzie’s remains would also lie in state at Heritage Park.

“Cocoy had to be with his sister in the entire funeral wake that no matter how hard he tried to be at the state funeral of Nora, he couldn’t attend because of the same ordeal,” said a Laurel family friend who requested anonymity.

“Then he still had to attend to some events last month,” added the Laurel business associate.

HIGH SPIRITED
He was high-spirited amidst physical aches.

According to the family friend, Cocoy was always happy even in his medical check-ups.

“He would profusely say ‘thank you, thank you’ to the doctors, nurses and other staff in the hospital while touching with his fingers the sleeves of theirs,” described the family friend.

“He was always light-hearted even when he was in pain,” added our source.

Contrary to reports that Victor died of cancer, the family friend clarified that he died of cardiac arrest due complications.

“He knew it’s coming. When he wasn’t feeling well again, he asked his sister Lally to bring him to the hospital,” informed our source.

The actor had a broken spinal column that he contracted twenty years ago but was not eventually dealt with.

“Lately, lagi siyang nadadapa (always had bad fall) because of his poor eyesight,” informed the family friend.

AN ACTOR, INDEED
He died on June 14, 2025 but his family officially announced it two days after his death.

In his lifetime, Cocoy was an active stage, movie and television actor.

He was a Repertory Philippines stalwart who made his memorable portrayal of the Engineer in the world renowned “Miss Saigon” in Australia.

Victor’s foray into the movies was his team-up with both top caliber actresses Nora  (the first three) and Vilma Santos (the last four) in “Roses and Lollipops,” “Lollipops and Roses at Burong Talangka” and “Impossible Dream” and “Ofelia at Paris,” “Disco Fever” and “Pinay, American Style.”

Cocoy was the son of the late Philippine Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel and arts patroness and stage actress Celia Diaz-Laurel.
Victor’s cremains were inurned at the Sanctuario de San Antonio in Makati City.

He was 72.