He was given honors by the state.
On Saturday, November 22, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile was laid to rest at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City.
The 101-year-old World War II veteran was given full state honors, such as a 21-gun salute, aerial flower drop, and a parade.
Prior to that, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called Enrile in his eulogy in Malacañan Palace on Friday, as his “uncle, friend, and mentor who taught him valuable lessons and advice.”
“So as we grieve the loss of JPE, let us also be grateful. At some time in the history of the Philippines, there was a man who devoted his entire being to the service of the Filipino… That the rest of us could be able to do even a little bit of what he had done,” the President said.
The President also thanked Enrile for what he has done for the Marcos family — whom he served twice as member of the cabinet of both Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. and before his passing, Marcos, Jr.
Moreover, PBBM praised Enrile for his wisdom and said it is hard to quantify or measure Enrile’s contributions, who never stopped working despite his advanced age.
He then expressed admiration for Enrile for his resolve in not going against the interest of the Filipino nation when facing challenging situations.
“The one line that I noticed that he never crossed was this: When he believed in his heart of hearts that what you were trying to do was against the national interest, he would remove himself. And he’d say, I do not agree with this,” Marcos, Jr. noted.
Juan Ponce Enrile passed away last November 13 at the age of 101 after his bout with pneumonia.