Media’s political memory fades on Enrile’s 100th birthday

JEERS TO the media that made news of the 100th birthday milestone of Juan Ponce Enrile as one would for a celebrity, with hardly any mention of his checkered political career. In their accounts, ABS-CBN News, BusinessMirror, Daily Tribune, GMA News Online, Inquirer.net, Manila Bulletin, and The Philippine Star, reported in detail the reception hosted in Malacañang by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. citing the expressions of mutual admiration by the president and the honoree. 

It was news serving as propaganda and public relations for the Marcoses and the Martial Law regime. For Enrile in particular, it was a whitewash of his controversial record as a government official who had played a key role in implementing military rule that led to the illegal detention, torture and execution of countless Filipinos. 

These birthday reports even  ignored the more recent charges for graft and plunder charges in 2014, which led to his conviction. But court sentences were suspended for humanitarian reasons in consideration of his age. 

Most accounts detailed instead the lavish birthday function hosted by the President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Feb. 14 at Malacañang Palace which most media reported, recording the words expressive of the bonds between Enrile and the Marcos family. Again, accounts did not include that the president appointed Enrile his chief legal counsel in 2022, a post with a monthly salary between PHP189,000 to PHP211,000, according to a Philstar.com report. 

Soft sit-down interviews

Obviously, the coverage of Enrile’s milestone took some planning and PR purposes were incorporated into the reportage. 

The exclusive sit-down interviews with the politician at his Makati residence merely gave Enrile another opportunity to define his political career in terms favorable to himself and his allies. 

The accounts painted a picture of a humble, wise, and faithful government servant. The Star’s interview quoted Enrile describing Marcos as “well-educated, has a well-developed mind, [and] a balanced emotional make-up,” adding that he may even become one of the country’s best presidents. 

In the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s 1300-word story, Enrile washed his hands of accountability for the atrocities committed during martial law. His claim that he “never ordered anybody to be killed,” went unquestioned, despite the report noting that Enrile served as the defense chief at the time. 

Not just harmless fun 

ABS-CBN News issued two online articles, one listed 100 things younger than Enrile and another compiled 100 quotes from the government official. The quotes were sourced from Enrile’s autobiography, portraying the politician as a benevolent source of wisdom.

The Daily Tribune and Manila Bulletin’s reports picked up the humor in Marcos’ banter about Enrile’s age. The article from the Tribune headlined Marcos’ “ribbing” that contrary to jokes on social media, Enrile was “not present at the Malolos Congress,” in 1898. The Bulletin reported that according to Marcos, Enrile said his “secret to longevity” is “not thinking about it.” 

To the point, historian Xiao Chua, in an interview on One News program “Afternoon Delight,” on Feb. 13 argued that while memes about Enrile’s age widely circulated on social media can be a source of amusement, these jokes can be detrimental to public memory and ensuring politicians’ accountability. For him, younger generations may be unfamiliar with the politician who played a key role in the declaration of martial law. Chua also said that autobiographies are a way to “control the narrative,” since the source is the author. 

Burnishing the image perpetrates falsehood 

Media’s coverage should be free of political propaganda even as it posts birthday milestones. As the celebrant is in public office still, such news remains in essence political news and should thus be examined for the truth it relates. Unfortunately, detailed exchanges between Marcos Jr. and Enrile recalled the style of coverage of the period of Martial Law, a throwback to a time when journalists were read the limits of what they could or could not report. Such coverage seemed designed to present the politician as someone to be emulated, a model for other officials and sadly, for the youth. 

Enrile, a powerful, highly-paid Marcos appointee had been charged in court for graft and plunder. Surely, it is too soon for even media’s short memory to forget these established facts.