Marcos bids goodbye to his 'mentor' Tito Johnny

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Friday recalled how late Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile became his mentor in his political career.

In his eulogy during the necrological services for Enrile in Malacañang Palace, Marcos shared that he thought things would be awkward for his family and Enrile after the Marcoses return home following their exile in Hawaii.

''Because after the events of February 1986, we found ourselves on opposite sides of the barricade. Let me put it that way. And so it was always a little, I was always a little scared. What do I do when I see Tito Johnny? How is it going to be? Will he be angry with me? Will it be awkward? It wasn't. It wasn't,'' Marcos said. 

''It was as if, you know, we were just, we had met, we had, we just left each other one week ago. And we came and we started work. So we started working together as congressmen. And the 14th Congress... that's when I started working with him. And I remember that this is one of the smartest people I know,'' he added. 

To recall, Enrile was late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s minister of defense until 1986, but he and then Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos withdrew support from the administration.

The EDSA Revolution would then depose Marcos Sr. and install Corazon "Cory" Aquino as President. 

Never stopped working

The Philippine leader also highlighted that even with his age, Enrile never stopped working.

"His brain, his brain kept working. He still, until the last day that I spoke to him, his memory was still the same,'' Marcos said.

Enrile also maintained that he would never be part of any actions that are against the country's interest, according to Marcos. 

'''I cannot be part of anything that I believe is against the national interest,' And that is the core of Tito Johnny. And it is a lesson that we all learned from, we learned from many people, but we also learned it from him,'' Marcos said.

Marcos said every molecule of Enrile's being was ''devoted to the service of the Filipino people.''

Marcos had honored Enrile's contribution in governance and public service as he bid goodbye to his Tito Johnny.

''I extend my prayers and condolences to the family of Juan Ponce Enrile. We mourn his passing, but we also give thanks for the long and meaningful life he lived in service to the Filipino people,'' Marcos said. 

Enrile passed away last week after being in the intensive care unit for pneumonia.—LDF, GMA Integrated News