Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paid tribute to former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile during a necrological service at the Malacanang Palace on Friday.</p><p>In his eulogy, the President looked back on the “close relationship” that he and his father forged with Enrile through the years.</p><p>“Since we came to live in this Palace, he was a constant fixture in my life. He was always here. He was always there,” he said. </p><p>“But he was my dad’s guy, and although you could tell that he had a special place even in my father’s heart. Only because, the reason I say that is because there are very few people that I saw my father not give just instructions to but listen to. He was one of those very few people,” Marcos Jr. noted.</p><p>The chief executive also recalled how their relationship “just took over” after they met again following their family’s return to the Philippines from exile.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/19/senate-honors-juan-ponce-enrile-one-last-time-1405"><strong>Senate honors Juan Ponce Enrile, one last time</strong></a></div><p>“Because after the events of February ‘86, we found ourselves on the opposite sides of the barricade. Let me put it that way. And so, it was always a little, I was always a little scared. ‘What did I do when I see Tito Johnny? How is it going to be? Will he be angry with me? Will it be awkward? It wasn&#x27;t. It wasn&#x27;t,’” he stated. </p><p>Marcos also extolled Enrile as his &quot;mentor’ and ‘tutor&quot;, reflecting on their years together working as legislators.</p><p>“And even when he was a Senate President, he would still find the time to come down and, you know, give me advice and guide me. And I considered myself very, very, very lucky,” he said. </p><p>“And this continued, because after the vice-presidential election, nagpapatulong ako sa kanya, sa protesta ako. So, I would go and see him,” Marcos Jr. also recalled, pertaining to the poll protest he filed against then Vice President Leni Robredo.</p><p>The President also called the contributions of Enrile as his chief legal adviser as “unfathomable”, offering a glimpse of what it was like working with him.</p><p>“Very so often, I would come here, I&#x27;d come to the office, and there&#x27;d be a little note, ‘JPE says he needs to see you.’ Whenever that happens, you better go and see him immediately, because he doesn&#x27;t do that. He will do that only if it&#x27;s very important. So, I&#x27;d go straight to his office. And, of course, he would say, ‘what you&#x27;re about to do is a big mistake. You cannot do that. It&#x27;s illegal. It&#x27;s not this. It&#x27;s not proper.’ But, with him, it&#x27;s not only criticism. ‘The way around it is this’,” he recalled.<strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/13/juan-ponce-enrile-passes-away-1733"><br/></a></strong></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/13/juan-ponce-enrile-passes-away-1733"><strong>Juan Ponce Enrile passes away</strong></a></div><div><strong>ENRILE’S REAL AGE</strong></div><p>Marcos Jr. also revealed that Enrile was 103 years old instead of 101 when he recalled a conversation with him during his birthday celebration as he inquired about Enrile’s sharp mind despite his age.  </p><p>“During his birthday celebration, I said, ‘Tito, ano ba sikreto? I want to be like you also. At first, I want to live to 100 years old. And I want to be like you when I&#x27;m 100 years old.’ And then sabi niya, ‘alam mo anak, I&#x27;m not sure that I&#x27;m 100 years old. I think I&#x27;m older.’ Sabi ko ‘Bakit?’ ‘Nawala yung records ko sa gera’. But eventually, I found, apparently, Katrina [Enrile] just told me that he found his papers eventually,” he said. </p><p>“And, ladies and gentlemen, this man was 103 years old, which is even more remarkable,” Marcos Jr. added.</p><div><strong>’WILLING TO BLEED’</strong></div><p>Towards the conclusion of his eulogy, Marcos Jr. became visibly emotional as he described how devoted Enrile was for his family and country.</p><p>“And there is no higher praise than I can make of anyone, of anyone that I know that has served in government, that has served the country. There is no greater praise for anyone than to say that he lived, he was willing to die, he was willing to bleed for the country. And that&#x27;s what we will miss. Perhaps we don&#x27;t find so many of those people anymore,” he said. </p><p>Marcos Jr. ended his eulogy on a lighter note as he bid farewell to his Tito Johnny.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/19/dnd-renderd-military-honors-for-ex-defense-chief-enrile-2059"><strong>DND renders military honors for ex-defense chief Enrile</strong></a></div><p>“I was looking at him during the [Holy] Mass and I&#x27;m still waiting for him to pipe up and say, ‘wait, you guys forgot something. When, when, when, when I made that law, this is what you were doing’. I&#x27;m sorry to think that he&#x27;s not going to do that anymore,” Marcos Jr. quipped.</p><p>“So, goodbye Tito Johnny. Thank you for everything that you have done for me, for my family, even at the time for my dad. And thank you for what you have done for the country. We will never forget you. Bye-bye.”</p><div> </div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paid tribute to former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile during a necrological service at the Malacanang Palace on Friday</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paid tribute to former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile during a necrological service at the Malacanang Palace on Friday

Marcos Jr. honors ‘Tito Johnny' Enrile

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Marcos Jr. honors ‘Tito Johnny' Enrile

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 21, 2025 05:18 PM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

JPE

Juan Ponce Enrile

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