The Senate minority head's left-handed compliment on President Bongbong Marcos who chose to keep his concurrent post as head of the Department of Agriculture did not sit well with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said BBM should leave his dual post and appoint a replacement since the DA is an agency that is too big.

"It is like a mini-Philippines already,'' Pimentel said.

Pimentel's unsolicited advice immediately received a rejoinder from Enrile as the veteran public servant said Pimentel should be elected President first before making unwarranted sound bites.

"What the President determines at his discretion, carries with it the capacity, ability and responsibility to decide what portion of the social problems of the country he must directly supervise, control and direct," according to Enrile.

"The President has competent Cabinet members."

Enrile did not mince words on Koko saying that nobody can dictate on BBM regarding his decision as President.

Enrile, who is also a former Senate chief, has also something to say about critics who have made the first 100 days a reference to the capability of the Marcos administration.

"Several key projects of the government that will benefit the society have a long gestation period and the results are not immediately seen," Enrile said.

The trusted BBM adviser said for measures that have a lasting effect on Filipinos' lives such as agriculture, "from the time you plant the seed up to the time you put the fruits on the table, it takes time."

He added, "you cannot grow rice in two or 100 days, it takes at least 3 months, you harvest it and sell it to the miller, who packs it and sells it to the market, and only then can it be cooked for food."

BBM, in his decision to keep his post as agriculture secretary, said "there are things the President can do that the secretary cannot" indicating the need to expedite reforms in the agency which has been racked by corrupt practices that reflected in the poor performance of the agriculture sector over the years.

"It would take a President to turn around the deep problems in the agriculture sector," BBM added.

Pimentel said, "he can have a DA secretary and yet still focus on agriculture as the priority of his administration.''

"Study the process in government and the society so that we can have a fair appreciation of the situation," Enrile said.

Pimentel's attempted fast draw with BBM as the target was thwarted by the more experienced pistolero in government who are all too familiar with the ways of headline hogs in the Senate.

In effect, Enrile was telling Pimentel to zip his mouth unless he has a good basis to back his statements.

Hit the books or look like a fool, was Enrile's take on Koko.