Enrile son on JPE-Gigi romance: All rumors, no proof

MANILA, Philippines - Cagayan Rep. Juan Ponce “Jack” Enrile Jr. said yesterday he had heard rumors about the supposed romance of his Senate President father and namesake with his chief of staff, Gigi Reyes but had chosen to “leave it at that” after the two shrugged off the issue.

“I heard rumors. I was not able to substantiate. I asked my father whether it was true or not. He kept mum. I asked Gigi whether it was true or not. She kept mum and said there was nothing going on there. So I leave it at that,” he told Karen Davila on ABS-CBN News Channel.

“If ever there was anything between my father and Gigi, I don’t see it now,” he said.

Rep. Enrile said if the rumor were true, it would not have mattered to him.

“No. It would not matter to me. My mother would probably differ but they’re old. They probably spent 50, about 56 years together. They have been married for the longest time. They both know one another. I think my mother would be the one to bury my father if he were to go ahead of her and I think that’s something that we all need to respect,” he added.

In 1997, the Chicago Tribune reported the alleged affair between Sen. Enrile and Reyes, but the two denied it. The rumor was revived recently when Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano exposed Reyes’s clout in the Senate.

In the same television interview, Rep. Enrile said his father should have equally distributed maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) funds among 22 senators.

He said his father made a wrong decision in not giving P1.6 million in additional MOOE money last December to four senators.

“My father should have split MOOE funds equally. I told him that. He could have avoided this entire issue. But he had his reasons,” he said.

Some of his Senate colleagues criticized Sen. Enrile for his selective distribution of Senate funds. Those who did not get the additional P1.6 million are his critics, including Cayetano.

On the other hand, watchdogs of public funds lambasted the Senate leader for playing god with taxpayers’ money.

Rep. Enrile said his father just kept quiet when he expressed to him his views on the issue. “I don’t think he felt offended,” he said.

He said they often tried to convince each other on raging issues in Congress.

He recalled that before the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill, they had a long discussion that lasted up to 10 p.m. “He gave me his points and I was trying to make him vote my way. He never said, ‘Vote this or else…’,” he said.

Sen. Enrile voted against the bill. While Rep. Enrile is among the top absentee-congressmen, he attended the House sessions last Dec. 12 and 17 and voted for the bill, which is now a law.

The Cagayan congressman said he also differed with his father on the sin tax bill, for which he voted, while Sen. Enrile cast a negative vote.

Explaining his absences, he said a congressman’s job involves not only attending sessions but consulting with constituents and other stakeholders on proposed legislation.

Asked about his alleged involvement in the death of actor Alfie Anido, who was his sister Katrina’s boyfriend, Rep. Enrile said, “Very painful. I have been trying to answer an allegation that is not true for over 30 years.”

He also said he and his father were not on speaking terms for many years. “When we buried the hatchet… he said sorry. We both cried, he was crying for an hour and a half…we are really father and son now,” he added.