‘I’m afraid,’ quips Enrile on Santiago’s presidential run

“I AM afraid.”

That was Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s reaction on Wednesday to Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s announcement that she will run for president in 2016.

Asked why during an ambushed interview at the Senate, Enrile said: “She’s too brilliant.”

Asked again during a sit down interview why he  was afraid of Santiago’s presidential run,  the  Minority Leader said:

“Well, she’s been  running for president for so many times already. This is the second time.”

Santiago  first  joined the presidential race  in 1992 but she  lost to former President   Fidel Ramos.

But Enrile later  told reporters that he  was  just  joking  when  he said that he was  afraid  that  Santiago  will run for president.

The two senators had been at odds since the issue of the Christmas bonuses that Enrile allegedly gave to senators when he was still the Senate President.

“I was just joking. I thought she’s  (stage 4) cancer,”  Enrile said.

Asked  if  he was  surprised  by Santiago’s presidential run, the Minority Leader said: “Hindi ako nagugulat…”

Asked  again if he thinks  the  country  would be in good hands if Santiago  wins the 2016 presidential race, “I’ll not be here anyway. I will not be here so bahala na kayo,” Enrile said, followed  by a hearty laugh.

He  refused to answer , however, a reporter’s question   how   Santiago’s  presidential run  could  affect  the  present political landscape.

“Huwag na nating pag-usapan yun, that’s not important to me,” Enrile added.

So far, Enrile  has  publicly  showed  his  support for the vice presidential bid of Senator  Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.   He said  he would just disclose his bet for president during the campaign.

And while he had  already endorsed Marcos for vice president,  the opposition leader said   he can  still support another vice presidential  bet,  Senator   Gringo Honasan,  who is running with Vice President Jejomar  Binay.

All three — Enrile, Honasan and Binay —   belong to  the opposition’s United Nationalist Alliance  (UNA).

“I did not know  that he (Honasan) was going to be a candidate for vice president,” he said.

Enrile said both Marcos  and  Honasan are close to  him, saying the former even  calls him “Tito” while  the latter treats  him like a father.

Asked then if he would also raise   Honasan’s  hands just like what he did when  he endorsed  Marcos  last Saturday, Enrile  said: “Oh yes, I have raised his  hands  many times.”

“Lahat sila itataas ko..lahat sila. Kung  gusto nilang mag-pataas, itataas ko lahat ang kamay nila,”  he said in jest.

Asked  if he would also raise the  hands  of  his nemesis, Senator  Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV,?  Enrile said: “Ah  ibang salitaan yun. Maski ko na itaas yung dalawang kamay nya, walang mangyayari. Hay naku…”