Veteran lawyer Estelito Mendoza dies
MANILA, Philippines – Veteran lawyer Estelito “Titong” Mendoza, who had handled high-profile cases of former Philippine presidents and business moguls, died on Wednesday, March 26. He was 95.
The Philippine National Bank (PNB), where Mendoza had served as a director since January 1, 2009, confirmed his passing.
“The Bank expresses its deepest gratitude and appreciation for his valuable contributions,” PNB said.
Mendoza served as legal counsel for at least four Philippine presidents: Ferdinand E. Marcos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Joseph Estrada, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
During the administration of the late dictator Marcos, he held key positions in the Cabinet, including as justice secretary and as solicitor general. He also served as Pampanga governor.
Mendoza was also the legal counsel for Marcos and his wife, Imelda, when the government pursued cases against them for ill-gotten wealth.
After Marcos’ ouster, Mendoza transitioned into the business sector, taking on executive roles in major corporations, including Philippine Airlines, Philippine National Bank, Petron, Meralco, and San Miguel Corporation.
In the labor dispute between the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines and PAL, Mendoza represented PAL, which ultimately won the case. The dispute went through a particularly convoluted process, with the Supreme Court reversing its final ruling after receiving letters from Mendoza.
In 2016, he secured another legal victory when the Supreme Court acquitted former president Arroyo in her plunder case.
Mendoza also served as chief counsel in the impeachment trial of former president Joseph Ejercito Estrada, who was later convicted of plunder but later pardoned.
In 2021, Mendoza handled the disqualification case against Marcos Jr. when he was running for president. Petitioners argued that Marcos Jr. should be barred from holding public office due to his failure to file income tax returns during his tenure as vice governor and later governor of Ilocos Norte. The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the petition on June 28, 2025, allowing Marcos to run and eventually win the presidency.
Most recently, amid the simmering dispute between Marcos Jr. and the Dutertes, Mendoza also represented Vice President Sara Duterte in cases involving confidential funds. This case remains pending before the Supreme Court.
Mendoza also handled the plunder case of Juan Ponce Enrile in connection with the multi-million-peso pork barrel scam.
In a Facebook post, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile mourned the passing of his best friend.
“Today, I lost a very, very dear friend—the complete, brilliant, and luminary lawyer, Estelito ‘Titong’ Mendoza. For me, he was one of the best, if not the best, lawyers I have encountered and worked with. I extend my condolences to his wife, Rosy, and their family. I was the godfather to one of his daughters. May he find eternal peace with God in heaven. A very good man has passed away. He was younger than I am, but he was my senior at the UP (University of the Philippines) Law School. Goodbye, Titong — my very good and best friend,” Enrile said.
Mendoza is also the man behind the dismissal of suits of alleged Marcos cronies such as the ill-gotten wealth case of the government against tycoon Lucio Tan and Danding Cojuangco’s coco levy case.
In an interview with GMA News, Mendoza, who was also dubbed as the “lawyer of last resort,” was asked to describe his controversial career. He said: “I’m a lawyer. I don’t choose what cases I take. Those on the wrong side are often the ones most in need of legal representation,” he said.
“I’m just doing my job, and that’s what I have been trained for. I have been at this for many years, and I find great satisfaction in performing my duty because I contribute to the administration of justice. I can assure you that I win my cases because I work hard,” he added.
Mendoza was born on January 5, 1930, in Bacolor, Pampanga, to parents Guillermo Mendoza and Barbara Patdu, both of whom were public school teachers.
He earned his associate’s degree in 1948 and his law degree in 1952 from the University of the Philippines, graduating cum laude. He later pursued further studies at Harvard University, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree in 1954. – Rappler.com