And the loser is…

Not too long ago, Juan Ponce Enrile was the toast of the town, for his stellar handling of the impeachment trial of Renato Corona. The sins of martial law were forgotten (and rewritten). People said the Senate President was on legacy mode, that the trial was his perfect swan song.

What a difference a year makes in politics. Enrile has retained his post in the final days before Congress’ long campaign break. But public officials are only as good as their latest performance. And his recent actions aren’t what he’d want described as his legacy.

The continuing controversy over his Christmas “gift” of millions to friendly senators isn’t going to go away with the resignation of his chief of staff and Dragon Lady of his office, Gigi Gonzales Reyes.

Like Corona digging his own grave in his final day of trial as chief justice, Enrile has only himself to blame for his current troubles. As one senator pointed out, Enrile could have avoided this mess if he had distributed largesse equitably. After all, it was Christmas and some magnanimity is appreciated from the chamber’s most senior member (in age and rank).

Instead Enrile opted for pettiness, gifting 18 friendly senators with a total of P1.6 million each in three tranches, and four critical colleagues with only P250,000 each.

He therefore held on to P5.6 million, which wasn’t even his money, and reaped the whirlwind for it.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago may be criticized for returning her P250,000 and outing Enrile only because the amount was insultingly small, but public opinion is with her when she demands clear-cut rules in the Senate president’s power to utilize savings of the chamber in that manner.

*      *      *

Enrile’s initial defense was that it has been a long-standing practice in Congress to distribute office savings to lawmakers at the end of the year.

The last guy to invoke long-standing funding practices he inherited in his post was former defense chief Angelo Reyes, and we still remember the ending of that story.

Later, Enrile said his P1.6-million “lambing” to each of his 18 colleagues was not a Christmas gift but additional maintenance, operating and other expenses (MOOE) – and never mind if there were just a few days left in the year to spend the money.

The MOOE is acquiring the same notoriety as the SALN – the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth – during Corona’s trial.

I’ve been told that something similar is done in certain other government offices, although the amounts involved are much smaller, probably because there are more employees sharing the money.

Agencies, I was told, do not return savings to national coffers because they worry that if lawmakers find out, the agencies’ funding for the next year will be cut. So the savings are distributed to the agency’s personnel, coincidentally at around Christmas. There’s a long list of items that can be passed off as “other expenses” in the MOOE.

In these agencies, however, it is clear to the employees that their Christmas “gifts” come from public funds that were not utilized during the year, and not from any particular official.

In the case of the Senate, apart from the huge amount involved, the timing of the gift-giving and the senators who were excluded smacked of an attempt by Enrile to buy his colleagues’ loyalty using public money.

Enrile can rail all he want that this is simply not true, that he will never buy anyone’s loyalty, but because of the circumstances, the public impression sticks.

*      *      *

Unable to shake this off, Enrile has tried diversionary tactics, telling the four senators to disclose how they have utilized large amounts released to their offices, and how they are holding on to committees that they are supposed to have already given up.

So far, however, none of his accusations has had the same damaging impact on Santiago, Antonio Trillanes IV, and siblings Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano. They are the Four Horsemen of Enrile’s Apocalypse.

The squabbling sank to new lows the other day, with Alan Peter successfully provoking Enrile into a public show of infantile, sputtering rage.

Enrile should have remembered a precious advice from his party mate, former President Joseph Estrada, about losing one’s cool: Ang napipikon, talo.

The trigger for his outburst, it seemed, was Alan Peter’s attack on Gigi Reyes, who should have known enough to be more circumspect when dealing with senators.

Enrile then did a no-no in this society – he dredged up an alleged multimillion-peso debt owed him by his dead bosom buddy and law partner, the Cayetano siblings’ dad Rene. Alan Peter was right – you don’t hurl accusations against someone who’s no longer around to defend himself, and why bring up the purported debt only at this time? “Compañero” Rene has been dead a long time.

Truly, best friends make the worst enemies; they know the exact spot to stick in the knife. Yesterday Enrile, on damage control mode, publicly denied romantic involvement with Reyes, even as he tried to make her revoke her “irrevocable” resignation.

Alan Peter was not beyond dredging up old family grudges himself – but he’s much younger than Enrile and can occasionally get away with juvenile behavior.

Several times, the verbal tussle drew laughter in the Senate gallery – directed at Enrile. You know you’re in trouble in this country when your statements are greeted with laughter, and you’re not trying to be funny. Corona must be laughing himself hoarse.

Even that vote of confidence from 11 senators, though seen as a cunning move, isn’t winning Enrile (or the 11) too many fans, considering that all 11 were recipients of the P1.6 million MOOE.

As of yesterday afternoon, it looked like Enrile had lost his chief of staff. Another likely worry for him is that this mess may also rub off on his son, who’s seeking a Senate seat alongside daddy.

The Four Horsemen are sure to keep the issue alive, at least long enough to prevent two Enriles from sitting together in the Senate.

Enrile kept his post and won the battle, but he’s losing the war.