The immortal JPE turns 100 on Valentine’s

MANILA, Philippines — Juan Ponce Enrile turns 100 on Feb. 14, making him an easy subject of talks on immortality.

And this longest-serving and oldest public servant says: “It’s God’s handiwork. He can make life short or long for you.”

Though he did work on his longevity himself, eating mostly his favorite dinengdeng, saluyot, patola, bataw.

“I exercise every day but not too much, and I walk under the sun,” says Enrile during this interview in his Makati residence with a sprawling garden and a mini chapel, with daughter Katrina and granddaughter Kara beside him.

He is eloquent and uses a hearing aid. He has a fairly good crop of hair, good mestizo skin, and walks carefully but straight, making one believe in the stem cell treatment which he reportedly had many years ago.

Enrile survived COVID-19 twice, and pneumonia three times during the pandemic. The only health issue he has now is the macular

degeneration of his eyes. Still this has not prevented him from doing a lot of reading , both of books and stuff he favors on his trusty computer.

“I learned myself how to use the computer, I am self-taught,” he says with pride.

Does he Google? “Why Google when I have been 100 years on this planet.” He also does social media. Does he know the meaning of LOL?

“Yes,” and he laughs out loud.

How will he celebrate his birthday which is also Valentine’s Day? “I will be 100 years old, my dear, so let others enjoy it.”

Love? He says “I cannot define it..” So Katrina offers: “For us, his language of love is protection and provision.”

But  Enrile clearly has tender emotions in his heart. He said he cried when his wife Cristina who is 87, underwent an operation last year. “I thought she was going to go, but God was kind enough not to allow it,” he sighs.

“Cristina is the prettiest woman I have ever encountered,” Enrile declares. Just two days ago, she came back from the hospital because of pneumonia.

“She had a 39-degree fever. I could not go with

her because my doctor advised me not to go to hospitals.”

A four-time senator who served as justice secretary and defense minister who was asked by then President Ferdinand Marcos to lay the

plan for martial law, it was Enrile with Fidel