Enrile, loved ones had chance to talk before he passed away

The late former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and his loved ones had the chance to talk before he passed away on Thursday at the age of 101.

According to Saleema Refran's report on "24 Oras," Enrile's daughter Katrina recounted how her father would tell his children to treat people kindly.

“The family is okay kasi nabigyan naman po kami ng panahon para makapagsabi ng mga saloobin namin sa aming ama at pati po siya, marami din po siyang mga binibilin,” Katrina said.

(The family is okay because we were given enough time to say what we needed to say to our father, and he was also able to tell us a lot of things he wanted to.)

“Parati niyang sinestress po sa akin, bata pa po ako, (Ever since I was a child, the thing he always stressed) is to remain humble, to treat people correctly… Because the people that you meet when you are rising may be the same people you will meet when you are going down,” she said.

With more than 50 years in government, Enrile is best remembered as a former member of the Cabinet–he was the secretary of justice and of defense of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and the chief presidential legal counsel of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.–and as a Senate President.

Senate President Tito Sotto said that the Senate was ready to offer necrological services for the late former senator, if needed.

“We leave it to the family, kung ano ang gusto nila… Kapag gusto nila ng may necrological services, usually we will offer,” Sotto said.

(We leave it to the family, whatever they want to have necrological services.)

Vice President Sara Duterte also offered her condolences to the Enrile family.

Meanwhile, some organizations issued statements reminding the public of Enrile’s involvement with former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s martial law declaration.

“Martial Law, one of the bloodiest chapters in our country’s history, would not have been possible without Juan Ponce Enrile… The blood of tens of thousands of martial law victims is on Enrile’s hands, too,” said Project Gunita.

Enrile’s remains will be available for public viewing on November 16 to 18, and November 20 to 21.

He died at home on Thursday afternoon at 101 years old. –Jiselle Anne Casucian/NB, GMA Integrated News