MANILA (Reuters) -Juan Ponce Enrile, one of the most enduring and polarising figures in Philippine politics, who played a central role during the rule of the late Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr, died on Thursday at the age of 101, his daughter said.
Enrile’s death ends a political career spanning more than six decades under eight presidents, including incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, whom he served as presidential legal counsel until his death.
A Harvard-trained lawyer, he began his government service under President Marcos Sr., holding key posts, including defence secretary.
As defence minister, Enrile played a central role during Marcos Sr’s dictatorship and the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, one of the darkest periods in the Southeast Asian country’s history.
The elder Marcos ruled for two decades from 1965, almost half of it under martial law, a period marked by widespread human rights abuses and curbs on civil liberties.
In a dramatic turn in 1986, Enrile broke with Marcos Sr and withdrew support from the regime, sparking the “people power” revolution that restored democracy under President Corazon Aquino.
Enrile, who later served in Aquino’s cabinet, also had a long legislative career, serving in both houses of Congress.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
