CARMMA: On the death of Marcos’ martial law administrator, crony and plunderer known as Juan Ponce Enrile
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS RELEASE
13 November 2025
Reference: Kris Lanot Lacaba, CARMMA convenor
CARMMA Secretariat, 09189790580
On the death of Marcos’ martial law administrator, crony and plunderer known as Juan Ponce Enrile
Juan Ponce Enrile will be remembered not as a statesman or a patriot, but as a perpetrator of human rights abuses, a plunderer, and a personification of impunity. As Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s martial law administrator, he oversaw the widespread repression and atrocities of the dictatorship. Martial law saw at least 3,257 documented extrajudicial killings, 35,000 cases of torture, 737 enforced disappearances, and 70,000 detentions, with 2,520 of those killed subjected to torture and mutilation. Of those killed, 2,520 were tortured and mutilated.
Enrile profited immensely from his closeness to the Marcoses, owning logging companies such as Ameco in Bukidnon, Dolores Timber in Samar, San Jose Timber in Northern Samar, Kasilagan Softwood Development Corp. in Butuan, Eurasia Match in Cebu, Pan Oriental in Cebu and Butuan, Palawan-Apitong Corp. in Palawan, and Royal Match. He controlled his business empire with an iron hand and was never held accountable for the Las Navas massacre, in which 45 men, women, and children were killed on September 15, 1981, in Barrio Sag-od, Northern Samar. The massacre was carried out by heavily armed security personnel of the San Jose Timber Corp., who were also members of the Special Forces of the Civilian Home Defense Force (CHDF).
Enrile was able to get away with plunder since his days as the number one martial law implementor of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. As one of Marcos Sr.’s top cronies, Enrile was allowed to dip his own fingers into the people’s monies. Enrile was appointed by Marcos as president of the Philippine Coconut Authority, where he, together with Danding Cojuangco, took control of the coconut industry. He is believed to have helped himself to up to $475 million of the coco levy fund, a tax forced on coconut farmers during martial law, ostensibly to develop the coconut industry. The funds, however, were used to finance Enrile’s business conglomerates such as the purchase of the United Coconut Planters Bank and the acquisition of San Miguel Corporation as well as Imeldific projects such as the Miss Universe Pageant of 1974 and the construction of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. A large portion was also used to fund Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s 1983 presidential campaign.
Enrile’s crass opportunism made him available to anyone in power, as his legacy is one of lies and deception, utterly devoid of integrity, and unworthy of honor. Following the 1986 EDSA uprising, Enrile admitted in many interviews that his ambush that was used to justify martial law had been staged, though he also contradicted himself in his memoirs.
In recent years, Enrile became more powerful as Marcos Jr’s legal adviser, no wonder that he got away, again, with plunder and graft. All throughout his life, impunity was his hallmark: being acquitted of a plunder case under the Marcos Jr. administration, and being acquitted again of the 15 graft charges before the Sandiganbayan related to alleged misuse of the pork barrel.
Enrile’s legacy is defined by lies, deception, and a complete lack of integrity -- qualities unworthy of honor. His death will never erase this anti-people
legacy. He might have escaped the just wrath of the people but we declare that we shall carry on remembering Enrile’s crimes and the thousands of victims of martial law. We will continue to fight against what Enrile stood for: martial law, plunder, reign of terror and deception. We will continue to struggle for a world the Enriles do not want to see: a world of prosperity for the people not the elite; a world where human rights are respected, and a world where plunderers and fascists are meted justice!
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.
KARAPATAN Public Information
Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA)
PRESS RELEASE
13 November 2025
Reference: Kris Lanot Lacaba, CARMMA convenor
CARMMA Secretariat, 09189790580
On the death of Marcos’ martial law administrator, crony and plunderer known as Juan Ponce Enrile
Juan Ponce Enrile will be remembered not as a statesman or a patriot, but as a perpetrator of human rights abuses, a plunderer, and a personification of impunity. As Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s martial law administrator, he oversaw the widespread repression and atrocities of the dictatorship. Martial law saw at least 3,257 documented extrajudicial killings, 35,000 cases of torture, 737 enforced disappearances, and 70,000 detentions, with 2,520 of those killed subjected to torture and mutilation. Of those killed, 2,520 were tortured and mutilated.
Enrile profited immensely from his closeness to the Marcoses, owning logging companies such as Ameco in Bukidnon, Dolores Timber in Samar, San Jose Timber in Northern Samar, Kasilagan Softwood Development Corp. in Butuan, Eurasia Match in Cebu, Pan Oriental in Cebu and Butuan, Palawan-Apitong Corp. in Palawan, and Royal Match. He controlled his business empire with an iron hand. He was never held accountable for the Las Navas massacre, in which 45 men, women, and children were killed on September 15, 1981, in Barrio Sag-od, Northern Samar. The massacre was carried out by heavily armed security personnel of the San Jose Timber Corp., who were also members of the Special Forces of the Civilian Home Defense Force (CHDF).
Enrile was able to get away with plunder since his days as the number one martial law implementer of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. As one of Marcos Sr.’s top cronies, Enrile was allowed to dip his own fingers into the people’s money. Enrile was appointed by Marcos as president of the Philippine Coconut Authority, where he, together with Danding Cojuangco, took control of the coconut industry. He is believed to have helped himself to up to $475 million of the coco levy fund, a tax forced on coconut farmers during martial law, ostensibly to develop the coconut industry. The funds, however, were used to finance Enrile’s business conglomerates, such as the purchase of the United Coconut Planters Bank and the acquisition of San Miguel Corporation, as well as Imeldific projects such as the Miss Universe Pageant of 1974 and the construction of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. A large portion was also used to fund Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s 1983 presidential campaign.
Enrile’s crass opportunism made him available to anyone in power, as his legacy is one of lies and deception, utterly devoid of integrity, and unworthy of honor. Following the 1986 EDSA uprising, Enrile admitted in many interviews that his ambush which was used to justify martial law had been staged, though he also contradicted himself in his memoirs.
In recent years, Enrile became more powerful as Marcos Jr’s legal adviser; no wonder that he got away, again, with plunder and graft. All throughout his life, impunity was his hallmark: being acquitted of a plunder case under the Marcos Jr. administration, and being acquitted again of the 15 graft charges before the Sandiganbayan related to alleged misuse of the pork barrel.
Enrile’s legacy is defined by lies, deception, and a complete lack of integrity -- qualities unworthy of honor. His death will never erase this anti-people legacy. He might have escaped the just wrath of the people but we declare that we shall carry on remembering Enrile’s crimes and the thousands of victims of martial law. We will continue to fight against what Enrile stood for: martial law, plunder, reign of terror and deception. We will continue to struggle for a world the Enriles do not want to see: a world of prosperity for the people not the elite; a world where human rights are respected, and a world where plunderers and fascists are meted justice!
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publi...@karapatan.org
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