Juan Ponce Enrile dies at 101

Juan Ponce Enrile, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.'s chief presidential legal counsel and former Senate President, died on Thursday afternoon, his daughter Katrina said.

He was 101 years old.

"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 said 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.

"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 said.

She said details for public viewing will be shared once arrangements have been finalized, so that all who wish to pay their respects may have the opportunity to do so.

"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," Katrina said.

Icon in Philippine history

In a speech in Malacañang in 2024, Marcos called Enrile "an icon in the pantheon of Philippine history."

On Thursday night, Marcos honored Enrile as ''one of the most enduring and respected public servants our country has ever known.''

''For over 50 years, Juan Ponce Enrile dedicated his life to serving the Filipino people, helping guide the country through some of its most challenging and defining moments,'' Marcos said. 

According to the President, even in Enrile's final years, he remained brilliant, sharp, and firm in his belief that law and governance must always serve the Filipino people.

''His passing marks the close of a chapter in our nation’s history. But the mark he leaves behind in law, in governance, and in the hearts of those he served will never be forgotten,'' Marcos said.

The Senate on Thursday suspended its plenary deliberations on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) earlier than expected, following the announcement of the death of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. 

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri made the motion to suspend the session past 6:20 p.m., citing historical tradition. With no objections, this was approved by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. 

Sotto said Enrile's legacy "will live on, etched within the walls of the Senate and his service to the nation will forever be in the hearts of many Filipinos."

“He has dedicated his whole life, even until his last days, to public service. We will remember him for his formidable intellect and his compassion for the people, especially for the employees of the Senate,” Sotto said.

Online court appearance

On Oct. 24, 2025, Enrile attended online the promulgation of his graft cases by the Sandiganbayan from the hospital where, according to his daughter Katrina, he was confined to manage his pneumonia.

The Sandiganbayan Special Third Division then acquitted Enrile, his former chief-of-staff Jessica "Gigi" Reyes, and Janet Napoles of 15 counts of graft in connection with the alleged misuse of his priority development assistance fund when he was still a senator.

''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. 

On Nov. 12, Katrina said Enrile was in a hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) due to pneumonia.
The Senate on Nov. 11 offered a short prayer for Enrile during the session led by Sen. Joel Villanueva.

This happened after Sen. Jinggoy Estrada informed his colleagues that the former Senate leader was in the ICU "with a slim chance of surviving."

Over 50 years in government

Before he went out of retirement when he was appointed as the President's top legal counsel in 2022, Enrile already served the government in the executive and legislative branches for 50 years when he bowed out of the Senate in 2016.

A senior partner in law offices that bore his name and a law professor at the Far Eastern University, Enrile entered the government in 1966 when then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. appointed him finance undersecretary and later acting secretary of the Department of Finance.

He was also named concurrent acting chairman of the Monetary Board and concurrent acting head of the Insurance Commission. Enrile was also named acting commissioner at the Commission of Customs.

Enrile was then appointed Secretary of Justice in 1968 and became the concurrent chairman of the Board of Pardons and Parole.

In 1970, he was appointed Secretary of National Defense. 

Enrile resigned in 1971 to run for senator. He was appointed back to the helm of the defense department in 1972 and was the defense secretary when Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law in September that year.

He would become Marcos Sr.'s minister of defense until 1986, when he and then Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos withdrew support from the administration.

The EDSA Revolution would then depose Marcos Sr. and install Corazon "Cory" Aquino as President. 

Enrile would serve in the Cory Aquino Cabinet until November 1986.

Legislature

In the legislative branch, Enrile served as an assemblyman representing Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) in the Interim Batasan Pambansa from 1978 to 1984. He was then the assemblyman representing Cagayan province from 1984 to 1986.

Enrile was elected to the Senate in 1987 and served until 1992. He was again elected to the Senate in 1995 and served until 2010. 

He would return to the Senate and serve consecutive terms from 2004 to 2010, and from 2010 to 2016.

Enrile would be at the pinnacle of his career in Congress when he served as Senate President from 2008 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2013.

He was a senator-judge in the impeachment trials of then-President Joseph Estrada in late 2000 to early 2001 and then-Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, when he served as the presiding officer.

Enrile resigned as Senate President in 2013 amid a controversy over the chamber's funds.

In 2014, he was charged with plunder before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the misuse of pork barrel funds

He surrendered in Camp Crame and spent a little over a year under hospital arrest at the Philippine National Police General Hospital. 

Enrile was released on bail in 2015.

More than 10 years later, on October 4, 2024, the Sandiganbayan Third Division found Enrile, Reyes, and Napoles not guilty in the plunder case, finding that the state prosecutors failed to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. –NB, GMA Integrated News