Senators honored former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile during the necrological service Nov 19 at the Senate Plenary Hall, his stage for many years. He was Senate president from 2008 to 2013.
Enrile was born on February 14, 1924 in Gonzaga, Cagayan as Juanito Furagganan to a stepdaughter of a poor fisherman. He was later recognized by his father, an influential provincial politician Alfonso Ponce Enrile. He went on to become a lawyer and an influential political personality in the country. He passed away Nov. 13 at the age of 101.
Up to his death, he held the position of chief presidential legal counsel to President Marcos Jr.
He served in various capacity in the government of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. As defense secretary, Enrile was the architect of Martial Law when human rights was widely trampled.
Bonifacio Ilagan, spokesperson of The Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainee Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto, said they shed “no tears” for the passing of Enrile. “For thousands of victims of the Marcos dictatorship, Enrile will forever be remembered neither as a patriot nor a statesman, but as one of the chief architects and defenders of tyranny, repression, and corruption in the country.”
At the Senate necro service, Senate President Tito Sotto, borrowed Enrile’s 2010 campaign slogan “Gusto ko, happy ka” to comment on the departed’s controversial place in history. One thing is certain, he said, “ “We love you, alam naming happy ka (we know that you are happy).”
Former president Gloria Arroyo remembering moments in the country’s political history with Enrile.
The Philippine Star reported that former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who came for the necro service, said during martial law, her father, the former president Diosdado Macapagal, consulted Enrile on the sidelines of diplomatic receptions to “quietly explain his request” on “minor matters.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said “Manong Johnny did not simply pass through history. He walked alongside it.”
