BABE’S EYE VIEW
By Babe Romualdez
The Philippine Star
The Philippine Star
For a man who will be turning 88 this February 14, Juan Ponce Enrile is unquestionably at the highest point of his political career. JPE, as the Senate President is popularly known, is a man whose life has turned around so many times, and during the course of his colorful and storied career, he has proven to be the quintessential survivor — bouncing back just when it seemed it was over.
Most everyone is now familiar with the story of Juanito Furugganan — the boy from Cagayan who worked as a houseboy to put himself through school. The war brought him face to face with the father he had never known and gave him the name — Juan Ponce Enrile — that would figure prominently during critical moments in our nation’s history. The barrio kid’s circumstance was practically reversed, his formidable intellect coming to the fore when he graduated cum laude from Ateneo and obtained a law degree in UP as 1953 class salutatorian.
Manong Johnny, as many of us fondly call him, got a 91.7 percent rating for the 1954 bar exams with a perfect score of 100 percent in Commercial Law. He distinguished himself as a corporate and litigation lawyer, and began his career in government as Finance Undersecretary in 1966, followed by a stint as Customs Commissioner in 1968. He became Justice Secretary in 1970 and was eventually appointed as Secretary of National Defense — a post he held for over a decade.
JPE was one of the closest associates of Ferdinand Marcos during Martial Law and as Defense Secretary, he was at the height of his power — so powerful, in fact, that there were strong indications he was the “heir apparent” to Marcos. Manong Johnny could have assumed power for himself during EDSA I as head of a proposed revolutionary council but instead, he threw his support for Cory Aquino, perceived to be the real winner of the 1985 snap election.
They say life is a series of ups and downs, and at a certain point, Juan Ponce Enrile fell out of grace, reaching the lowest point of his career when Cory removed him as Defense Secretary after barely six months, having been implicated in the so-called “God Save the Queen” coup plot of November 1986. The August 1987 coup led by Gringo Honasan was more bloody, with 53 casualties and 200 wounded — including the then 27-year-old Noynoy who was on his way to Arlegui when rebel soldiers fired at his vehicle. Noynoy lost three of his bodyguards in the ensuing firefight and sustained five bullets — one of which is still lodged in his neck. Despite denying any involvement, Enrile was subsequently charged with “rebellion complexed with murder.”
To many political analysts, the consequent fall from Cory Aquino’s favor meant the end of Enrile’s career. But history was not through with him yet. Not only were the rebellion charges eventually dismissed, the son of Cagayan successfully ran as senator in 1987 and held his own despite being the lone opposition in the Senate at the time. And whether he ran as Congressman in his home province or as Senator, it was obvious that JPE had become recognized as a key political figure by many Filipinos.
In retrospect, it would seem rather ironic that JPE is now vested with the “unique” burden and responsibility to make the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona credible and believable — no matter the eventual outcome — to everyone, most especially the Filipino public. After all, this impeachment will have an impact not only on the political fortunes of so many players including President Noynoy Aquino himself but most importantly, it will help determine the direction and perhaps the future of this country. No doubt the Senate President — as head of the impeachment court — will have a difficult balancing act in maintaining the independence and credibility of the impeachment court while making sure that due process and the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the Constitution are also observed.
From what people have seen and heard so far, it would seem that JPE is in full control. Enrile has made it perfectly clear that he will conduct the proceedings with fairness and objectivity, assuring the public that the senators are neutral and are merely doing their jobs by clarifying certain points raised by both the prosecution and the defense. Even his opening statement resonated with the public — stressing that as jurors, it is their obligation to examine the facts and evidence and determine whether these sufficiently and convincingly support the charges against Corona.
He had issued a stern warning for everyone to cooperate and maintain order, reiterating his commitment and determination to see the whole thing through “all the way to its completion.” At this point in his life and at this stage in his political career, JPE knows he could very well afford to be thoroughly candid and straightforward — frankly replying that if the public thought the senators were being biased, then “they (the public) can punish us.”
A couple of years ago, we encouraged Manong Johnny to write his biography and the historical facts from his perspective, and we are happy to hear that he is down to the last two chapters. The timing could not be more opportune because once again, JPE finds himself at the cusp of a significant moment in our history. Who knows? This impeachment trial may be part of the last chapter and could very well be the “corona de gloria” — a Spanish phrase that when exactly translated means “crowning glory” — to cap the tumultuous and remarkable political career of Juan Ponce Enrile.
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E-mail: babeseyeview@yahoo.com
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