Juan Ponce Enrile

Philippines Twitter-Juan "Manong/Manong Johnny/Johnny" Ponce Enrile (born February 14, 1924) is a Filipino politician. As a protege of President Ferdinand Marcos, he served as Justice Secretary and then Defense Secretary under the Marcos regime; he later became one of the leaders (along with General Fidel V. Ramos) in the 1986 People Power Movement that drove Marcos from power. Enrile has continued to be a prominent politician since then; he has been President of the Senate of the Philippines since November 2008.

Early life and career

Juan Ponce Enrile was born as Juanito Furagganan in Gonzaga, Cagayan to Petra Furagganan, the daughter of a poor fisherman. He was born out of wedlock—his father was the already married powerful regional politician and renowned lawyer Alfonso Ponce Enrile. He was reunited with his father by the time he reached his high school years.

He graduated cum laude in 1949 with an Associate of Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila University. Thereafter, he attended the University of the Philippines College of Law and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Laws degree. While in law school, he joined the Sigma Rho Fraternity. Upon graduation, he was elected to the prestigious Pi Gamma Mu and Phi Kappa Phi international honor societies. He achieved the 11th highest score with a 91.72% rating and a perfect score in Mercantile Law in the 1953 bar examinations. As a scholar at the Harvard Law School he earned a Master of Laws degree with specialized training in International Tax Law.

Secretary of Defense

Secretary of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile with President Ferdinand Marcos.

In 1970, he was appointed Secretary of the Department of National Defense. He left his post in 1971 to run for a Senate seat. However, lost the race.

Enrile was re-appointed as Defense Chief in 1972. One of Marcos' reasons for the declaration of martial law in 1972 was terrorism. He cited the alleged bombing attack of Secretary Ponce Enrile's car on September 21, 1972.

In 1973, under the new modified parliamentary system then in place under the country's new Constitution, Ponce Enrile's title became Defense Minister. As Defense Minister, he presided over the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, making him one of the prime architects of Marcos' martial rule.

As a requirement for his position as part of the cabinet under the parliamentary system, he ran and won as Assemblyman and represented Cagayan Valley for the Interim Batasang Pambansa in 1978.

After opposition leader Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was assassinated on August 21, 1983, Ponce Enrile knew that he had to breakaway. As the Marcos dictatorship became increasingly unpopular, he began aligning himself with dissident elements in the army, particularly the Reform the Armed Forces Movement - which was then headed by his Aide-de-camp, Lt. Col. Gregorio Honasan. Officers from this group, with Ponce Enrile' support, moved to launch a coup d’état against Marcos in February 1986.

First Senate term

In May 1987 he won the election as one of two opposition members of the country’s 24-member Senate (the other was Joseph Estrada). In August 1987, a coup against Aquino escalated and led to the destruction of the Armed Forces General Headquarters (AFPGHQ) in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. He was detained in house-type quarters in Camp Aguinaldo over suspicion of planning the coup with Lt. Col. Gregorio Honasan. He was released days after for lack of evidence.

Member of the House of Representatives

In 1992, before his term in the Senate ended, Ponce Enrile predicted that he might lose the senatorial election or win but only serve three years in office. Under the transitory provisions of the 1987 Constitution, the first 12 candidates who receive the highest votes win a 6 year term, the next 12 would only serve 3 years. He ran instead as congressman. He was elected and represented the First District of Cagayan.

Senate Presidency

First Term (2008-2010)

Backed by the support and trust of his peers in the chamber, Senator Enrile became the Senate President, replacing Senator Manuel Villar, Jr. on 17 November 2008. Enrile accepted the position, saying that “To lead the Senate with its great minds, strong advocacies, varying and independent political beliefs and leanings, is not an easy task. But it is precisely this variance in points of view and the battle of great ideas that provide the dynamism we need to craft legislation that takes into account and balances the competing interests involved – with the end in view of serving the greater good of the people to whom we owe our mandate.”

Under his leadership, the Senate passed vital pieces of legislation such as the CARP Extension, Anti-Torture Act, Expanded Senior Citizens Act, Anti-Child Pornography Act, National Heritage Conservation Act, Real Estate Investment Act, among many others. Institutional reforms were also implemented within the Senate to improve the daily conduct of business by the institution, as well as improve the welfare of its officers and employees.

Second Term (2010-present)

Now on his fourth term in the Senate and after re-elected as its leader, Senate President Enrile's commitment is to “discharge my duties and responsibilities with honor, with total devotion to our institution, and with fairness to all members. No partisan consideration will blur or color the treatment of any member of the Senate. We are all Senators elected by the people to serve them with dedication to their interest and well-being and devotion to our responsibilities.” Furthermore, in his acceptance speech, he enjoined his colleagues to “uphold the independence and integrity of this Senate, without abandoning our duty to cooperate with the other departments of the government to achieve what is good for our people.

Personal life

Manong Johnny, as he is often called, ("Manong" is an Ilocano affectionate term for an Older Brother) is married to Cristina Castañer, a blond Filipina of Spanish ancestry who in 2008 was named Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See. They have two children: Juan, Jr. and Katrina. Juan Ponce Enrile, Jr. is currently a congressman representing the 1st District of Cagayan. Katrina Ponce Enrile is the current CEO of Jaka Group, Ponce Enrile's company. The Jaka Group owns the Philippine Match Company, the Philippines' leading match maker.

Arturo Ponce Enrile (1940–1998), a cousin, was a former Secretary of Department of Transportation and Communications and a former general. He was married to Mara Enrile. Olivia Ponce Enrile-Tirona, is a jazz singer and daughter of Brenda Ponce Enrile Tirona.