Juan Ponce Enrile, architect of Philippine martial law era who helped oust Marcos, dies at 101

MANILA, Philippines -- Juan Ponce Enrile, the Philippine defence main during a martial-law epoch notorious for quality rights atrocities, antiauthoritarian setbacks and plunder who aboriginal broke disconnected from past dictator Ferdinand Marcos successful a schism that yet led to the latter’s overthrow successful a 1986 “people power” uprising, died connected Thursday. He was 101.

Katrina Ponce Enrile said her begetter died astatine location surrounded by household arsenic helium had wished, but did not instantly supply different details. She said her begetter had been confined successful a aesculapian intensive attraction portion for pneumonia treatment.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the incumbent Philippine person and lad and namesake of the authoritarian ruler Enrile helped overthrow, praised Enrile and said his decease “marks the adjacent of a section successful our nation’s history.”

“We accidental goodbye to 1 of the astir enduring and respected nationalist servants our state has ever known,” Marcos said successful a statement. “For implicit 50 years, Juan Ponce Enrile dedicated his beingness to serving the Filipino people, helping usher the state done immoderate of its astir challenging and defining moments.”

One of the country's astir salient lawyers, Enrile was besides 1 of the longest-serving officials successful Philippine past with a vocation successful authorities that spanned for much than a fractional century. He had served successful assorted posts nether the elder Marcos starting erstwhile the second won the presidency successful 1965. successful 2022, the existent president appointed Enrile arsenic main statesmanlike ineligible counsel, astatine property 98.

Among the departments Enrile led were justness and finance, including a stint arsenic Bureau of Customs commissioner. He served 3 presumption successful the Senate, wherever helium became president from 2008 to 2013. He was a erstwhile subordinate of the House of Representatives to correspond the bluish state of Cagayan, wherever helium was calved connected Feb. 14, 1924.

In 2014, Enrile surrendered aft helium was indicted and ordered arrested by an anti-graft tribunal for allegedly receiving immense kickbacks from a scam that diverted millions of dollars from anti-poverty and improvement funds allotted to lawmakers. He denied the accusation and enlisted top-notch lawyers to support him.

After a twelvemonth of detention, the Supreme Court granted Enrile’s petition for bail successful 2015 for humanitarian reasons. He was cleared of graft charges conscionable past period aft a lengthy trial.

His astir arguable role, however, was arsenic caput of the Department of National Defense, wherever helium was reappointed successful 1972, the twelvemonth the elder Marcos placed the full Philippines nether martial regularisation purportedly to support the state from progressively convulsive left-wing demonstrations successful the superior Manila and increasing threats from Marxist guerillas successful the countryside and Muslim separatist insurgents successful the south, homeland of the number Muslims successful the mostly Roman Catholic nation.

Opponents, however, accused Marcos past of declaring martial rule, a twelvemonth earlier his word was to expire, to prolong his grip connected powerfulness amid increasing discontent implicit his regularisation and allegations of monolithic corruption and cronyism. Marcos padlocked Congress and paper offices, ordered the apprehension of governmental opponents and activists and ruled by decree. Thousands of Filipinos were incarcerated, tortured and disappeared. Some person ne'er been recovered to this day.

A increasing rift betwixt Enrile and Marcos and his loyalist generals prompted the defence main to interruption distant from the ailing president aft a coup effort staged by Enrile-aligned subject officers was discovered and failed. Fidel Ramos, past a apical authoritative of the Philippine Constabulary, besides withdrew his enactment from Marcos. Ramos became president successful 1992 and died successful 2022.

Millions of Filipinos converged successful February 1986 astatine the EDSA road to shield Enrile and Ramos from Marcos’ loyal forces. Marcos was driven with his household and cronies into U.S. exile.

The 1986 “people power” uprising became a harbinger of alteration successful authoritarian regimes. Decades since then, however, poverty, stark inequality betwixt the affluent and mediocre and a nonaccomplishment to code past wrongdoings person remained profoundly entrenched, fanning governmental and societal divisions.

In the tumultuous post-dictatorship era, Enrile was detained doubly aft being linked to respective subject rebellions, including mutinies against President Corazon Aquino, the pro-democracy person who succeeded Marcos.

The Department of National Defense, wherever Enrile had been the longest-serving chief, paid tribute to him connected Thursday, flying the Philippine emblem astatine half-staff.

“His agelong and storied vocation successful nationalist work marked profound changes successful our nation’s history,” the defence section said successful a statement. “His bequest successful our country’s authorities and governance volition ever beryllium remembered.”