Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
Eulogy in honor of Former
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile
19 November 2025
“I am fortunate to have received from my Creator a longer time here on earth. That’s longevity, not immortality.”
Those were the very words uttered by Juan Valentin Furagganan—better known to the nation as Juan Ponce Enrile, “JPE”, or to us who were privileged to be close to him, simply “Manong Johnny”.
Beyond the memes that attempted to parody the long, storied life of one of the most consequential political figures in recent history is a man who was, in truth, larger than life. And I am fortunate not only to have worked alongside him in the halls of this august chamber, but to have been mentored by him and given the rare chance to know him up close.
Hindi kaila sa publiko ang pagiging malapit niya sa aming pamilya bago pa man kami nagkasama dito sa Senado. Makailang ulit niyang ipinamalas ang pagpapahalaga niya sa amin, lalo na sa aking ama.
“I can never forget him nor repay him for this extraordinary act of kindness,” he wrote in his memoir, recalling how my father insisted on accompanying him in a closed van on the way to the NBI headquarters sometime in February 1990 when he was arrested—just to make sure Manong Johnny was safe from harm and spared from further humiliation by a media crowd eager to capture his fingerprinting and mug shots.
Yet he did repay my father—many, many times over. And that profound expression of gratitude extended even to us, his children.
Kung noon ay dinamayan siya ng aking ama, ibinalik naman niya ito noong ako at ang aking ama naman ang inaresto at ikinulong. Isa siya sa mga kaibigan na nagpatunay at tumupad sa mga salitang “WALANG IWANAN.”
In the final hours leading up to my father’s departure from Malacañang—hours marked by emotional farewells and deep political uncertainty—one person stood out and gave a crucial piece of advice.
Amid a flurry of discussions and on the eve of our eventual leaving from the Palace, Manong Johnny went there and told my father to remain strong, especially for our family. He then whispered and advised my father “not to sign anything else” except the prepared official statement which he had carefully read, reviewed and approved, lest anything else be twisted as a resignation letter.
That short but emphatic counsel proved vital. And it was one of the pillars upon which my father stood to show the nation that he was unjustly removed from office—that his departure from Malacañang was for no other reason than to avoid bloodshed.
When the Arroyo administration assumed power, Manong Johnny was asked to help. He agreed—but with one clear condition: that he would never abandon my father whom he considered a dear friend. Sinabi niya “Tutulong ako kung ano ang kaya ko para sa ating bansa, huwag niyo lang ako palayuin kay Erap. Mas kailangan niya ako ngayon.” That was Manong Johnny—a true and faithful friend indeed.
Sa huling pagkakataon, noong ako naman ang kailangan niyang samahan sa detention facility sa Camp Crame mahigit isang dekada na ang nakalilipas, literal na sinamahan ako ni Manong Johnny.
But levity aside, words are not enough to describe the warmth and fatherly affection shown to me by Manong Johnny. The very first thing he did after the Supreme Court granted him bail in 2015 and ordered his release from hospital detention was to visit me and Sen. Bong Revilla—to lift up our spirits, to tell us to keep the faith, and to never lose hope.
“Gusto ko happy ka,” he said in his immortal campaign slogan. Pero si Manong Johnny—marahil hindi alam ng nakararami—ay masaya na kung ang ulam sa hapag-kainan ay isda. When Senate reporters once asked him for the secret to his longevity, he simply said that aside from reading—his mental calisthenics—he preferred fish and vegetables. Namumukod-tangi ang karne norte na gawa ng kanyang anak na si Katrina sa nakahiligan niyang kainin nitong mga nakalipas na taon.
Ah, at nahilig din pala si Manong Johnny maglaro ng “Bejeweled” sa kanyang tablet noon. Hindi man siya techy, pero sa edad nya na otsenta’y nueve (89), nahilig din siya sa larong uso noon sa kanyang mini iPad. Enjoy na enjoy siya and he played it seemingly oblivious to whatever storms were swirling around him…yes, even while the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago was lividly attacking him on the Senate floor. They were both colorful characters in their own peculiar ways.
His insatiable appetite for learning, his studious and stern discipline and his legendary intelligence aside, sa araw-araw na buhay, napaka simpleng tao ni Juan Ponce Enrile. Dala niya sa kanyang pagtanda ang kanyang mahirap at payak na pinagmulan.
At simple man, hindi siya naging maramot sa pagbabahagi ng kanyang talino bilang isang batikang abogado, mambabatas, at lingkod-bayan. Isa ako sa makapagpapatunay nito, lalo na noong ako’y nagsisimula pa lamang sa Senado.
He once said: “The Senate is not an institution for learning—not a classroom or a venue for teaching—but a constitutional body tasked with making weighty political and legal decisions. That is why a senator, whether veteran or neophyte, must always come prepared.” That is one of the teachings imparted to me by Manong Johnny—one that I carry to this day. So when he was “lecturing” about this in session, then neophyte Senator Lapid charmed Manong by saying “Eh di po ba sabi nyo ‘Problema mo, sagot ko?’ ” Eh ‘yun nga po ang problema ko eh di ko naiintindihan at bago ako dito, kaya nga po ako nagpapaturo sa inyo.” Laughter enveloped the session hall and right there and then, Manong Jhonny and Senator Lapid became very, very good friends.
So whenever I had any questions or misgivings, I never hesitated to seek advice from one of the most brilliant minds this chamber has ever known. And he was always willing to share his thoughts.
He was both a gentleman and a statesman par excellence. When he was about to be installed as Senate President in November 2008, some colleagues urged him not to allow the then–Senate President to resign and instead force him out. Manong Johnny did not budge. He stood his ground and said they should leave it to him how he wished to treat a friend—and if they disagreed, he was prepared to forget about the change in the leadership. Such was the gentleness and character of Manong as a friend and colleague… a side of him that not many have had a glimpse of.
To most people, former Senate President Enrile will be remembered as a central political figure who served under eight presidents across more than six decades… a central figure in many critical times and political upheavals this nation has witnessed. But to me, Manong Johnny is and will always be nothing less than family.
Manong Johnny is irrepressible, irreplaceable, incomparable—a very tough act to follow. Kahit sa puso ng ng mga empleyado natin dito sa Senado, ang kanyang kakaibang pagkalinga sa kapakanan ng malilit na kawani natin ay hindi nila nakakalimutan. Isa siyang tunay na alamat.
To his family—Ma’am Cristina, his children Jack and Katrina and his grandchildren, we are all grateful for your generosity in supporting Manong Johnny throughout all the seasons of his colorful and challenging political career, even at the great cost of time away from all of you.
As we bid him farewell, I find comfort in his own words – words that reveal the heart of the man behind the public figure, captured so eloquently in the closing lines of his memoir.
“To have been able to serve my country through all these decades of trials and uncertainty, and to have enjoyed the sweet and simple joys of a long and productive life, is the best reward of all.”
Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.
Salamat, Manong Johnny. Hinding-hindi ka namin makakalimutan.