Katrina Ponce Enrile, daughter of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, said her father’s legacy and sacrifices should not be revisited only when they are “convenient, politically useful,” or “publicly advantageous.”
This came after Alan Peter Cayetano publicly shared that his family had long been close to the family of the late veteran lawmaker.
According to Cayetano, he refers to his blood-related uncles as “uncle,” and that only two people outside his family were called by that term — one of them being Enrile.
In a social media post, Katrina said their family does not deny that the two families have known each other for a long time.
She said they also do not deny the shared history and familiarity between both families.
However, she stressed that a genuine relationship is not measured by words spoken publicly after a person has already passed away. According to her, true relationships are measured through presence, sincerity, and respect for the grieving family.
Katrina also said that during the necrological services held at the Senate of the Philippines, their family clearly saw who chose to be present for them and who did not.
Because of this, she said public declarations of closeness brought sadness and disappointment to their family.
The daughter of the late senator further emphasized that her father’s legacy, sacrifices, and decades of public service should no longer be invoked, especially for political purposes.
She added that what the former senator truly deserves is sincerity in life, dignity in death, and peace in memory.
(PHOTO COURTESY: Senate)
