The Senate on Wednesday held a necrological service for Juan Ponce Enrile, paying tribute to one of its longest-serving and most influential — though often controversial — figures.
Enrile, who died on November 13 at 101 due to pneumonia, served across eight presidencies and held more positions in government than any contemporary.
Senate President Tito Sotto described him as someone who understood the weight of public service.
“He was a man who knew the cost of being a public servant; its impossible choices, its burdens and its loneliness,” Sotto said, later adding, “He is a force to reckon with… We love you. Alam namin happy ka.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson recalled how Enrile played a pivotal role in his 2001 Senate campaign, noting that the veteran lawmaker’s influence helped him win even as Enrile himself lost that year.
He honored Enrile’s wide-ranging legacy, saying, “Juan Valentin Furagganan Ponce Enrile… A man who donned more titles than anyone, and one who remained a public servant until his very last breath.”
Lacson added, “Some would say that JPE walked through history… Manong Johnny did not simply pass through history. He walked alongside it.”
Senator JV Ejercito shared lighter memories of sitting beside Enrile during his first Senate term, particularly during tense exchanges involving the late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
“Gigil na gigil si Senator Santiago… Ganun kagalit,” he said, recalling the intensity of their clashes.
Yet Enrile remained unshaken, “Looking at his iPad… flashing that famous sheepish smile,” which Ejercito said showed how “Napaka-cool po ni Manong Johnny. Hindi po siya napipikon.”
Enrile’s political journey included multiple Senate victories—in 1987, 1995, and 2004—as well as losses in 1971, 2001, and 2019. He served as Senate President from 2008 to 2013 and previously as Senate Minority Leader.
His decades-long presence in Philippine politics leaves a complex but unmistakable mark on the nation’s history.