JUAN PONCE ENRILE @ 100: ON LOVE, LIFE AND LEARNINGS

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A man who has lived all his 99 years to the fullest, as the expression goes, Juan Ponce Enrile's storied career in public service and private exploits have made him the lustful idol of many Filipinos as much as the favorite target of his critics.

Lest I be misunderstood, when I say lustful, I mean hearty, healthy, vigorous, forceful, robust, and strong — everything that JPE is. Powerful, frank, and fearless.

Libido is another matter and I won't discount his capacity for it, given rumors of his past and recent wanderings and his supposed regular stem cell shots. All rumors, of course.

But who can still shock this man or what can embarrass him or shame him? Being sheepish this man will never be, this despite being referred to as the man who implemented what his critics described as a dreaded and ignominious martial rule.

When a man turns 100, one can neither praise nor rebuke him. Especially when he has not lost his mind.

JPE is not about to apologize for all the misdemeanors attributed to him in all of his 100 years. He is a happy old (okay, make that youthful) man, basking in the potency and proven efficacy of whatever may be his elixir of life.

For with his age and sentience comes self-knowledge. No amount of flattery by his peers, family, friends, and sycophants can make him feel bigger and better. And if one should attempt to cut him down to size, he would not allow himself the pretense of false humility. The man knows enough of himself and does not need the approval of any one man or even of a whole country. What he has achieved in his long lifetime, his triumphs and failures, his mistakes and would-have-beens, the last if any, he has all left to history to judge. And yet, he remains to be enigmatic.

Juan Ponce Enrile is 100 years old today and that means he has seen so many presidents come and go, some his friends, others his enemies. He has served them from Marcos to Marcos, and even from one Aquino to another.

That he was the hero of EDSA may be debatable, but the role he played in the ouster or the departure of President Ferdinand E. Marcos is a fact that may have many versions. As his confidante and protégé, Leslie Bocobo, would write on his social media account, "JPE was asleep and already resting (relaxing) right after the popular revolt of 22, 23 and 24 February. He was awakened upon receiving news that the Corystas grabbed power from the Reform the Armed Forces Movement on that same day of 25 February. That was the real betrayal."

JPE has lived this long, one may imagine, because he has yet to pay for his sins or the Good and Wise God is biding His time and is waiting for him to confess his faults and trespasses and reconcile with his creator.

Someone I know always considers him as his ultimate idol. That is my elder brother Binky. No one could be wiser and braver. JPE is the hero of all the macho men of this country.

My late mother said he should be president of the Philippines so we would have better roads in Cagayan Valley, as she assumed then that he would take care of his home region the way FM took care of the highway that began at kilometer 1 at the Rizal Park leading to Batac and beyond.

One public persona of Johnny Ponce Enrile is that of a playboy and a ladies' man. He is this and more. Of late, he has been professing his love for his wife, Cristina. And one tends to believe that love indeed does come again and it is better the nth time around. Or did he ever stop loving her despite his being linked to so many women?

Once, according to an ex-girlfriend, the car they were riding stalled along Ayala Avenue. They hailed a cab and JPE asked the driver what he thought of JPE. The driver had a mouthful, throwing in an expletive here and there, although perhaps subdued as those were not ideal times for speaking one's mind out, but he nevertheless expressed his disdain for his passenger. The ex-girlfriend recalled that JPE had a good laugh as he saw the humor and irony of it. It seems that in the company of ladies, he could be very endearing and cool.

The first time I saw JPE was when I was in college at the Isabela State College of Agriculture (now the Isabela State University). He was on his way to his home province of Cagayan but along the way, he made several stops as the people knew he was passing over and everyone was eager to see in person the man they knew was the most powerful official next to the President himself. Besides, they said, "he is ours and we are mighty proud of him, a native son of Cagayan Valley."

Indeed, at the highway junction in our hometown, he alighted from his car, received welcoming garlands from the beautiful teachers of my alma mater, shook hands with the local officials and the people, and then allowed himself to be embraced, kissed, and engulfed by the students. Everyone said he was very handsome in a mestizo way. Like his father, added those who knew his story. He was smiling all over, hardly a trace of what many referred to as a man to be feared at the height of the dictatorship.

Juan Ponce Enrile is everyone's hero. As a young man, he was an underdog, even almost killed by assailants who were his rivals for the affection of a pretty schoolmate who, of course, liked the young, bright yet shy mestizo.

During World War II, he joined the resistance, and after the war, he took his fate into his own hands and hitched his way to Manila. He walked several kilometers from his friend's house, who gave him a temporary shelter overnight, to look for his father. He found him in his law office. The first time, Don Alfonso, the legal luminary saw him, he simply recognized him as his son. He brought him home to his Malabon home and the young Juan Furagganan, who eventually became Johnny Ponce Enrile, finally met his new mother, Purita, and the Enrile children, Armida, Chito and Irma, who all welcomed him and accepted him as their brother. The rest is history.

My lifestyle editor, Dinah Ventura, and I interviewed JPE during the pandemic when we were still hosting Spotlight (we now co-host Pairfect, which is shown every Friday at 2 p.m.). The conversation revealed to us a most simpatico JPE, very human and very relaxed. And very much in love with life and his beloved Cristina.

JPE, in his usual candor and wit that manifested during press cons, answered our questions with gusto. And fast.

What's the secret to his longevity? "God is good to me," he said. "In this life, it's only He who knows. For how long will you be here or how short? He can make it long, he can make it short. God has been good to me. I went through all kinds of adventures in life, all kinds of hardships, all kinds of experiences, but I'm still around today. Whereas the people who hated me so much and criticized me so much have passed."

Immediately we shifted to a favorite subject — women. He said, "My ideal woman apart from my wife is Helen of Troy. The face that launched a thousand ships."

No, he would not say if his ideal woman has changed through the decades. He would rather, "leave that to my emotions." No, nothing in particular attracts him first to a woman. "I will not know. It just happens that I get attracted to the person. That's it. I do not know what it is that would make a woman attractive."

But he dislikes "talkative women. I do not like dumb women either. It's a system or a matter of synergy. You can relate to each other very well, or seamlessly, rather, and then that's it."

When asked how he courted the girls in his youth, he alluded to his courtship. "I can only tell you how I courted my wife. I met her for the first time at a party. She was a student graduating from St. Paul's College in Herra. She did not mind me so I did not mind her too. After not meeting her for two years, we met again. I asked her if I could invite her to dinner and she agreed. That was the beginning."

Soon, her mother asked him, "' What are your intentions about my daughter?' And I said I wanted to marry her. Then that's it."

Does he think there is such a thing as a right woman? "There is no such thing as a right woman for a right man. It just happens that we like the person, we get attracted, and a man would like to live with her forever."

Did he ever have a crush before? A celebrity? A movie star? He smiled and said, "So many times that you look at a beautiful body, face, a wiggling torso. But it's not always possible."

We asked him what his top three advice was for young people who are in love. He said unequivocally, "I cannot advise them. Each person is a separate world altogether. To me, it's a matter of instinct and a matter of gambling also. It's a matter of synergy with the person involved. If you like her and you want to live with her, and you think that you can live with them until death do you part — then marry her."

Was there someone who got away? He did not say yes or no, but offered, "Kiss and forget. You have to live your own life again. You should not feel miserable. After a while, you'll forget it. I do not know anyone who got away."

Of the love of his life, the former Cristina Castañer, an actress from her college days at Saint Paul College Manila, he recalled, "She was not a very forward person. Quiet but serious in the way she handled herself from her thoughts to the way she talked."

No, he would not tell at what age he lost his innocence. "That is something I cannot tell you," he said with a smile.

He was a young lawyer when he had his first date with Cristina. "Not too much income to throw away. We went to a restaurant. Swiss Inn was its name. I ate pork knuckles with sauerkraut. She ordered something else, but I don't remember it. "

"We talked about her college days, and what I did when I was studying abroad. Nothing very special. I never said I love you, she never said that she loved me. We just engaged each other in a conversation."

Finally, I guess along the way, I finally said I love you. Almost daily after marrying her. I assumed even during our courtship that she was meant to be my wife."

On the matter of children born out of wedlock, no, he does not know if he has sired one. And of same-sex marriages, he can be quite liberal. "Why not? Basta basahin nila yung libro ni Yuval Noah Harari. He discussed the question of the opposite sex, gender—male—female relationships, and so on. Sabi niya, it's natural."

He pointed out, "Ako kasi, kung gusto nila, babae sa babae and they want to live together forever. Anong kaibahan niyan sa boy and girl? The only difference is that they they cannot have their own children. But they can adopt. Diba? Ganun din sa lalaki. Pag lalaki, dalawang Y chromosome. Sa babae, dalawang X chromosome — if they want to live together forever, what's wrong with that?"

We wondered what would have become of him if he did not pursue law. He said, "Alam mo sa totoo lang nung umpisa, nung ako ay bata pa. Nasa grade two ako dahil hindi ko pinaga-aralan yung math, natural sa akin. I never studied it very much but I learned it well, I wanted to be an engineer. But merong nangyari sa buhay ko, nag-iba ang aking direksyon. At ipinangako ko sa sarili ko na maging abogado ako para hindi ako apihin ng kahit sinong tao."

He then recalled that fateful day: "Nuong naga-aral ako sa probinsya, tungkol sa babae na katabi ko sa klase. Pinagsa-saksak ako ng mga apat na lalaking estudyante, at kamuntik na akong mamatay. Nuong idinemanda ko sila, wala akong abogado. Dinismiss yung kaso ko. Wala akong abogado. Lahat ng mga abogado nasa kanila sapagkat mga anak sila ng mga members of the board nung eskwela kung saan ako naga-aral. Kaya dahil duon, pinangako ko sa sarili ko na kung may swerte ako at makapag-aral ako, magiging abogado ako.

"Nasa second year high school ako nun. In-expel ako ng eskwela na yun. Ako daw ang may kasalanan pero ako ang pinagsa-saksak na wala akong alam na dahilan. Kaya sabi ko sa loob loob ko, kung ganito pala ay kailangan ko maging manananggol.

"I went back to my hometown and became a kaminero. I worked for 75 centavos a day. And then the war broke out, so I became a guerilla. Like every Filipino, one either survived or perished during the war.

No, he did not have a love life during those dark days. "Ang pinag-uusapan natin ay survival – papatayin ko, or papatay ka."

How does he show a girl that he loves her? "Just ordinary gifts. Bibigyan mo ng pabango, panyolito. Alam mo, kuripot ako eh."

Has he ever used an aphrodisiac? "No, never. Alam mo nuong araw, pinag-usapan yang kantaritas (an herb) sa probinsya. Eh hindi ko alam kung ano yun. Akala ko pangalan ng babae."

As for beauty queens, he said, "Di ako masyadong mahilig sa mga beauty queens eh. He much favors "yung ordinaryong tao lang. Mahirap yung sa mga beauty queen kasi iniisip mo silang mga beauty queens eh. Tuwing birthday nila, nakikita nilang tumatanda sila, kaya natataranta sila."

Other than his wife, who would be his ideal woman? "I have no time to judge. Ang aking ideal woman, Helen of Troy. Pwede rin naman si Cleopatra."

What about in the category of Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor? "Masyadong napakaganda yun. Pero nuong tumanda na, masyadong tumaba naman. Alam mo ang gusto kong babae gaya ni Grace Kelly."

In Philippine show business, does he like Hilda Coronel, Pilar Pilapil or Charito Solis? "Si Charito magandang babae yon. Estudyante pa lang ako kilala ko na iyon eh. Sinasama ng aking tiyo noong araw di pa siya sikat na artista pero mabait na tao iyon."

Would he give up everything for a woman? "I don't think so. If you lose a woman, there is always another one."

What is his advice to married couples? "Never sleep together when there is a problem between you."

Of men's propensity to lie, he said, "Karamihan ng mga lalaki, sinungaling tungkol sa pakikipagibigan. Sa aking karanasan."

Of Women and loyalty, "Meron naman talagang mga loyal na babae, tapat. Pero meron diyan na kapag nabwisit na sa'yo iiwanan ka na."

Magkaroon man ng samaan ng loob, you must understand each other and huwag mong sasakalin ang asawa mo at huwag ka papasakal sa asawa mo. You have to trust each other. Whatever happens, kakaliwa ka man, doon ka uuwi sa bahay niyo."