Enrile burial at LNMB sparks nationwide protests

By Juliane Judilla

MANILA — More than 50 civil society organizations and over 60 individuals from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao issued a joint statement Friday condemning reports that former Senate President and martial law figure Juan Ponce Enrile, who died on Nov. 13, will be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

In the unity statement led by Project Gunita, the signatories called Enrile’s planned interment a deeply disturbing act of “historical distortion” and “continuing impunity.”

They argued that Enrile’s legacy — marked by human rights abuses, complicity in martial law and corruption — disqualifies him from being honored as a hero.

According to the statement, Enrile’s “sins against the Filipino nation” remain unacknowledged and unpunished.

Among the grievances listed was the so-called fake ambush on Enrile on Sept. 22, 1972, which critics say paved the way for Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to declare martial law.

The groups also cited Enrile’s inclusion in the “Rolex 12,” a group of military officials and civilians who helped draft Marcos Sr.’s Proclamation 1081.

They pointed to his alleged involvement in several atrocities — the Manili Massacre (1971), the burning of Jolo (1974), the Palimbang Massacre (1974) and the Pata Island Massacre (1982) — during his tenure as Marcos’ defense minister.

The groups also referenced the 1981 killing of 45 residents in Barrio Sag-od, Northern Samar, which they said involved perpetrators linked to Enrile’s logging operations and paramilitary forces.

They accused Enrile of issuing Arrest, Search and Seizure Orders, Presidential Commitment Orders and Preventive Detention Actions, which they said resulted in widespread detention, torture, disappearances and executions.

Another grievance involved alleged collusion with Marcos crony Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco in misappropriating coconut levy funds collected from poor farmers.

They also blamed widespread deforestation on logging companies associated with Enrile.

The statement recalled Enrile’s admission of election cheating during the 1986 snap presidential polls, which contributed to political instability.

The groups further cited his involvement in multiple coup attempts after Marcos was ousted, attacks that left hundreds dead, including civilians.

Late in his life, Enrile was also implicated in the 2013 pork barrel scam, according to the statement.

The groups warned that burying Enrile at the Libingan ng mga Bayani — where Marcos Sr. is also interred — sends a dangerous message that “crime pays” and that powerful figures can evade accountability in life and still be honored in death.

They said ordinary criminals face punishment, while influential figures like Enrile remain “scot-free — and, in death, they are decorated as a false hero.”

“Juan Ponce Enrile is not a hero. He never was, and he never will be,” the statement reads.

“We will instead remember and pay homage to his countless victims. We trust that history will soon mete out its truthful judgment on Enrile and his dark legacies,” it added.