For the position of chief presidential legal counsel (CPLC), President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. tapped none other than former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
Read more here: https://mb.com.ph/2022/06/17/enrile-to-become-palace-legal-counsel-guevarra-faustino-also-tapped/
“Enrile, a staunch supporter of President-elect Marcos and Vice President-elect Inday Sara Duterte during the 2022 elections, reaffirmed his commitment to serve the country and ensure the success of the incoming Marcos administration,” read a statement from the Marcos camp on Friday, June 17.
The 98-year-old lawyer has had a long and storied career in politics; under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. he served as secretary of finance; secretary of justice; and minister of national defense from 1966 to 1986.
Enrile was an ally of Marcos Sr. before and during the martial law era. He also played a major role in the ouster of Marcos Sr. as one of the public figures who launched a coup against him.
In the 9th Congress, he represented Cagayan Province’s 1st district from 1992 to 1995.
Enrile has served four terms in Senate: during the 8th Congress from 1987 to 1992, when he became the Minority Floor Leader; in the 11th Congress from 1995 to 2001; and then in the 13th Congress up until the 16th Congress, from 2004 to 2016.
He was the 26th Senate President of the Philippines, having served from 2008 to 2013.
Enrile graduated from the Harvard School of Law with a Master of Law degree and a specialization in International Tax Law.
Prior to Harvard, he graduated cum laude with a law degree from the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law; and before that, finished cum laude with an Associate of Arts Degree from Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) in 1949.
Born on Feb. 14, 1924, Enrile’s age has been the subject of many jokes and memes, with some referring to him as immortal.
Interestingly, Enrile offered to legally represent Marcos Jr. following the P203-billion estate tax issue during the 2022 campaign season, citing his own legal track record of never having lost a single case. Thus, it can be said that Enrile’s CPLC appointment is a way for things to come full circle as the same Enrile and a new Marcos are once again in the limelight.
Read more here: https://mb.com.ph/2022/04/05/enrile-willing-to-lawyer-for-marcoses-in-estate-tax-issue-wala-pa-akong-natalong-kaso/
As CPLC, he will be replacing incumbent Jesus Quitain, who currently is both CPLC and Special Assistant to the President.