“Any evaluation of his impact in our contemporary politics…should wait for him to be given the proper sendoff that a giant of a man like him deserves“
AMIDST all the corruption scandals engulfing the country, let’s take time to say something about the quiet passing of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
Not too many people are blessed with very long lives to allow them not only to be a witness to but be a major participant in historical and political events of their country.
Such was the life of JPE who passed away quietly on Nov. 13, at the ripe old age of 101 years old. Born on Valentine’s Day in 1924, he was 11 years old but old enough to understand the significance of the 1935 Philippine Constitution that ushered in the start of self-rule for the country under the Americans.
He was also a witness to the Japanese invasion of our country in 1942 and eventually participated in it as a foot soldier.
And when the Americans restored full independence on July 4, 1946, he was already a young man of 22, ready to face the challenges of a new independent nation.
But it was in the second half of his long life that saw him participate in and initiate a movement that precipitated tumultuous political events that continue to reverberate to this time.
Sometimes, however, living too long has some downsides when it comes to interpreting political events in which historical figures like JPE participated in.
One example of this was President Emilio Aguinaldo who also lived a long life, dying in 1965 at the age of 96 years old.
Since most if not all of our national heroes died young like Dr Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, they are mostly remembered for their sacrifices and noble deeds and not for any mistakes.
With President Aguinaldo, however, there are still many issues which up to now remain unsettled like his participation in the deaths of Andres Bonifacio and General Antonio Luna.
This could happen to the late Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
But any evaluation of his impact in our contemporary politics especially during the tumultuous four days in Feb. 1986, should wait for him to be given the proper sendoff that a giant of a man like him deserves.
In those tense February days, JPE was one of the three principal political players that eventually toppled the government of President Marcos Sr.
Of those three principal players, however, only he did not ascend to the presidency. The two others – Corazon C. Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos – eventually became presidents one after the other. Only JPE failed to become President to claim what he perhaps believed was his just reward but, try as he did, he never became President.
He stayed on in politics, eventually becoming the Senate President during the 15th Congress but that was as far as he achieved.
He stayed in the periphery of politics, eventually becoming the Presidential Legal Adviser to PBBM trying to help the son of the President he helped to topple in 1986.
It is probably too soon to be able to properly evaluate without any biases his impact in the political life of his country but it cannot be denied that the events of Feb. 1986 will define his political legacy.
He initiated the political upheaval that toppled a president that he served for about 20 years.
And largely thru his instigation, it brought the military establishment into the realm of politics that resulted in toppling the Marcos Sr. government.
From that time on to this day, we always hear about the military participating in many alleged destabilization plots against the government including in the current flood control corruption scandal.
After 1986, one other president was pushed out of office with the military participating in his ouster.
In essence, therefore, we could say the military has not completely gone back to the barracks because we always hear people considering the military as an important element in any extra judicial takeover of political power.
It is something like half in and half out.
The ideal situation is for the military to completely return to the barracks and for the public never hearing of them being recruited or a segment of the military wanting to join any extra judicial effort to topple a duly constituted government.
But with all our problems at hand, that is easier said than done.
