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Joker Arroyo, Who Challenged Martial Law in the Philippines, Dies at 88 Joker Arroyo, Who Challenged Martial Law in the Philippines, Dies at 88
(35 minutes later)
MANILA — Joker Arroyo, a politician and lawyer who counseled, bedeviled and helped topple Philippine presidents for more than three decades, died this week in the United States, his friend Vice President Jejomar Binay said on Wednesday. He was 88. MANILA — Joker Arroyo, a politician and lawyer who counseled, bedeviled and helped topple Philippine presidents for more than three decades, died this week in the United States. He was 88.
The cause of Mr. Arroyo’s death was not disclosed. Vice President Jejomar Binay, a friend of Mr. Arroyo’s, confirmed the death on Wednesday. No other details were provided.
Mr. Arroyo, who reportedly got his first name from his father’s love of card games, came to prominence in the 1980s when he helped file a series of legal challenges against the martial law decrees of the former dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. Mr. Arroyo, who reportedly got his first name from his father’s love of card games, came to prominence in the 1980s, when he helped file a series of legal challenges against the martial law decrees of the former dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
“He did courageous work during the dark days of martial law,” said Teofisto Guingona Jr., a former Philippine vice president who attended college with Mr. Arroyo and who is another human rights lawyer who had fought Mr. Marcos. “He did courageous work during the dark days of martial law,” said Teofisto Guingona Jr., a former Philippine vice president and fellow human-rights lawyer who had also fought Mr. Marcos.
“We were targeted from the very beginning, and both of us were put in confinement for our work,” Mr. Guingona said. “We were targeted from the very beginning, and both of us were put in confinement for our work,” said Mr. Guingona, who attended college with Mr. Arroyo.
When Corazon C. Aquino led a bloodless revolution in 1986 that ousted Mr. Marcos, she appointed Mr. Arroyo as her executive secretary and considered him one of her most trusted advisers. A year into her administration, Ms. Aquino reluctantly fired Mr. Arroyo, who was disliked by the Philippine military for what some officers perceived as his pro-Communist views. When Corazon C. Aquino led a bloodless revolution in 1986 that ousted Mr. Marcos, she appointed Mr. Arroyo her executive secretary. She came toconsider him one of her most trusted advisers. But a year into her administration she reluctantly fired Mr. Arroyo, who was disliked by the Philippine military for what some officers perceived as his pro-Communist views.
After leaving the Aquino cabinet, Mr. Arroyo served in the Philippine House of Representatives for more than a decade and was the lead congressional prosecutor in the December 2000 impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada. Mr. Estrada escaped impeachment but was removed from office after street protesters called for his ouster amid multiple corruption allegations. After leaving the Aquino cabinet, Mr. Arroyo served in the Philippine House of Representatives for more than a decade and was the lead congressional prosecutor in the December 2000 impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada on multiple corruption allegations.
Mr. Arroyo was elected to the Philippine Senate in 2001 and served for more than a decade before retiring in 2013. In recent years, Mr. Arroyo made it clear that his affection for the president he served did not extend to her son, Benigno S. Aquino III, the country’s current president. Mr. Estrada escaped impeachment and a Senate trial but was forced from office after street protesters called for his ouster.
The combative senator had accused Mr. Aquino of consolidating power and behaving like a dictator when he led the effort in 2011 to impeach Renato Corona, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, on allegations of being biased in his rulings and hiding assets. Mr. Corona was successfully impeached in what the current Aquino administration has said was a significant victory in its anticorruption efforts. Mr. Arroyo was one of only a handful of senators who voted against impeachment. Mr. Arroyo was elected to the Philippine Senate in 2001 and s retired in 2013. In recent years, he made it clear that his affection for the president he served did not extend to her son, Benigno S. Aquino III, the country’s current president.
“He loved to tilt the windmills and tussle with the powerful,” Senator Ralph G. Recto said. “He was a solitary gunfighter, drawing strength from the righteousness of his crusade, never taking comfort in the number of people who share his belief.” Mr. Arroyo had accused Mr. Aquino of consolidating power and behaving like a dictator when, in 2011, he led a successful effort to impeach Renato Corona, the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Mr. Corona was accused of bias in his rulings and hiding assets. Mr. Arroyo was one of only a handful of senators who voted against impeachment.
The Aquino administration called the impeachment a significant victory in its anticorruption efforts.
Mr. Arroyo loved to “tussle with the powerful,” Senator Ralph G. Recto said.
“He was a solitary gunfighter,” he added, “drawing strength from the righteousness of his crusade, never taking comfort in the number of people who share his belief.”
Mr. Arroyo was born on Jan. 5, 1927, in the town of Naga, about 235 miles south of Manila, where he attended public schools. He later won a scholarship to the University of the Philippines, where he studied law.Mr. Arroyo was born on Jan. 5, 1927, in the town of Naga, about 235 miles south of Manila, where he attended public schools. He later won a scholarship to the University of the Philippines, where he studied law.
Fellow politicians took to Twitter to pay tribute, including Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., son of the late dicator. Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., son of the late dicator, said on social media that he was saddened by news of Mr. Arroyo’s death.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic news of Joker Arroyo’s passing,” Mr. Marcos said, adding: “Considering where we came from, we often found ourselves in agreement over political questions. I daresay that we eventually became friends.” “Considering where we came from,” he said, “we often found ourselves in agreement over political questions. I daresay that we eventually became friends.”