Eugenio Hofileña López Sr.

(July 20, 1901 – July 5, 1975), also known as Eñing

López and Don Eugenio, was leading figure in the Philippines. He was founder of the Lopez Group
of Companies. He belonged to the prominent López family of Iloilo, one of the leading political
families in the Philippines.

Contents

 1Personal life
 2Career
 3Death
 4In popular culture
 5See also
 6References
 7Further reading

Personal life[edit]
López was born on July 20, 1901 in Jaro, Iloilo City. His parents were Benito Villanueva López, a
former governor of Iloilo, and Presentación Javelona Hofileña. He was the older brother and only
sibling of former Philippine Vice President Fernando López. He received his education at the Ateneo
de Manila where he graduated in 1919, and later the University of the Philippines where he took up
law and graduated in 1923.[1] He earned his master of laws degree from Harvard University.[2]
He was the first president, or "charter president", of the Rotary Club of Iloilo, the third oldest Rotary
Club in the Philippines.[3]

Career[edit]
López began as a provincial bus operator, and eventually became chairman of the Philippine's
largest media conglomerate (ABS-CBN) and president of the Manila Electric
Company (MERALCO).[citation needed] In 1972 he accepted a Distinguished Service Award from
the Harvard Business School, but several months later was compelled by President Ferdinand
Marcos to sign over his shares in MERALCO, was stripped of his holdings and forced into exile.[4]

Death[edit]
His eldest child and heir apparent, Eugenio Lopez Jr., or Geny, was jailed on charges of conspiring
to assassinate Ferdinand Marcos. This was carried out by Marcos in order for Don Ening, who was
at that time was in exile in United States to sell his businesses to him, his family and relatives and to
his cronies.[according to whom?] At one time, Marcos would send the then Philippine Ambassador to the
US, Benjamin Romualdez, a brother of then First Lady Imelda Marcos to San Francisco, California
where the elder Lopez was living along with his daughter, Precy and her Greek husband, Steve
Psinakis to convince him to relinquish ownership of his businesses in his home country in order for it
to sell to his entourage with a promise that his eldest child, Geny, would be released from jail. Don
Ening agreed, but his firstborn would remain in detention. As a result, he was double-crossed by the
Marcos regime and his businesses were then completely in their hands. He was later diagnosed with
cancer and died on July 5, 1975.

In popular culture[edit]
López was portrayed by Armando Goyena in the 1995 film Eskapo.

See also