MANILA – Juan Ponce Enrile — a towering, polarizing figure in Philippine politics whose career spanned decades of government service under multiple administrations — died on Thursday, November 13, at the age of 101.
The announcement was made by his daughter, Katrina Ponce Enrile, who said the former Senate President and chief presidential legal counsel spent his final moments at home.
“It is with profound love and gratitude that my father, Juan Ponce Enrile, peacefully returned to his Creator on November 13, 2025, at 4:21 p.m., surrounded by our family in the comfort of our home,” Katrina wrote on Facebook.
“It was his heartfelt wish to take his final rest at home, with his family by his side. We were blessed to honor that wish and to be with him in those sacred final moments,” she added.
Enrile’s family also appealed for privacy as they mourn.
“He dedicated much of his life to the service of the Filipino people. At this time, we humbly ask for the public’s understanding as our family takes a brief moment to grieve privately and honor his memory together in quiet and in peace,” Katrina added.
Arrangements for public viewing will be announced once finalized.
“On behalf of our family, I extend our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming love, prayers, and support we have received during this difficult time. Your kindness means more than words can express,” she said.
A lawyer, Enrile’s government career stretched over five decades, beginning in 1966 when he was appointed to senior roles in the Department of Finance by then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. He would later serve as Justice Secretary and, in 1970, Secretary of National Defense.
He was at the helm of the defense portfolio when Martial Law was declared in 1972, remaining in the post until 1986, when he and then Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos withdrew support from Marcos Sr. during the EDSA People Power uprising.
After the revolution, Enrile briefly joined the Cabinet of President Corazon Aquino before transitioning fully to legislative work.
He served as an assemblyman in the Interim Batasan Pambansa and later represented Cagayan province.
Enrile entered the Senate in 1987 and went on to hold a seat for multiple terms through 2016.
His tenure included a stint as Senate President from 2008 to 2013 with a central role as presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.
His long career was also marked by legal controversies. He was charged with plunder in 2014 over the pork barrel scam, was detained under hospital arrest in Camp Crame for more than a year, and was eventually granted bail in 2015.
A decade later, in 2024, he and his co-accused were acquitted.
After stepping away from elective office in 2016, Enrile returned to government in 2022 when President Marcos Jr. appointed him chief presidential legal counsel.
Weeks before his death, the former senator participated virtually in the Sandiganbayan promulgation of his graft cases from the hospital, where he was being treated for pneumonia.
The Sandiganbayan Special Third Division later acquitted Enrile, his former chief-of-staff Jessica “Gigi” Reyes and Janet Napoles of 15 graft charges tied to alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund.
“’I thank the Lord foremost for this vindication and also the Honorable Justices of the Sandiganbayan who carefully studied the evidence and tried the case with fairness and discernment,” Enrile said after the ruling.
Enrile’s death marks the end of an era in Philippine politics — one intertwined with every major political shift from the Marcos dictatorship to the present administration./PN
