Juan Ponce Enrile, key Martial Law figure and EDSA rebel, dies at 101

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who at 101 still served as chief legal adviser to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., passed away on Thursday, his daughter Katrina Ponce Enrile announced. “With profound love and gratitude, my father peacefully returned to his Creator on November 13, 2025, at 4:21 p.m., surrounded by our family at home,” she said, adding that it was her father’s wish to take his final breath in their residence. JPE, as he is known, was hospitalized earlier this week, battling pneumonia. The family requested privacy as they grieve, with details of public viewing to follow. Enrile served several presidents, including the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Corazon Aquino—both as Defense Secretary. The Senate expressed sorrow and, following tradition, suspended deliberation on the government’s 2026 budget following the passing of its former leader, a figure both vilified for his role during the Martial Law years and revered for EDSA People’s Power Revolution.