Former Senate President and defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile has passed away, his daughter Katrina Ponce Enrile confirmed in an official statement on Wednesday afternoon, November 13, 2025.
In a heartfelt message posted on her Facebook account, Katrina announced that her father “peacefully returned to his Creator” at 4:21 p.m., surrounded by family in their home—just as he had wished.
“It is with profound love and gratitude that my father, Juan Ponce Enrile, peacefully returned to his Creator… It was his heartfelt wish to take his final rest at home, with his family by his side. We were blessed to honor that wish and to be with him in those sacred final moments.”
She also acknowledged her father’s long career in public service and appealed for privacy as the family begins their period of grief.
“He dedicated much of his life to the service of the Filipino people… we humbly ask for the public’s understanding as our family takes a brief moment to grieve privately and honor his memory together in quiet and in peace.”
Katrina added that details of the public viewing will be shared once arrangements are finalized, noting that they want to give supporters and colleagues an opportunity to pay their last respects.
Condolences quickly flooded her Facebook post, with thousands of messages pouring in within minutes of the announcement.
Enrile’s age has long been a subject of public fascination.
According to official records, he was born on February 14, 1924, making him 101 years old at the time of his passing. However, documents from the Aglipayan Church in Cagayan list his birthdate as June 22, 1922, which would place him at 103.
He was baptized as Juanito Furagganan before later adopting the surname of his father, Alfonso Ponce Enrile.
He converted from the Iglesia Filipina Independiente to Roman Catholicism at age 20, as previously reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada had earlier informed his colleagues that Enrile was confined in the ICU due to pneumonia, and that his chances of recovery were slim.
Journalist Ramon Tulfo also posted that as of Tuesday evening, Enrile remained alive in an undisclosed hospital but was “in critical condition” according to his son Jack.
Juan Ponce Enrile leaves behind one of the most controversial and expansive political careers in Philippine history—serving as a defense minister during Martial Law, a key figure in the 1986 EDSA Revolution, a four-term senator, Senate President, and Presidential Chief Legal Counsel.
His passing marks the end of an era, closing the final chapter on one of the country’s most polarizing statesmen.
