Juan Ponce Enrile At 101: All the Things As Old As or Older Than the Man Himself

Let's disclaim first that Senator Juan Ponce Enrile has not been convicted of anything related to the vile things we associate him with (and you can say we can name a lot), and we don't want to be on the receiving end of a subpoena for an online libel lawsuit. One thing we know for sure is that there is even a longer list now of jokes in which the punchline is Manong Johnny’s age.

Senator Enrile was born on February 14, 1924. If he is indeed codename Tanda, it really shouldn't surprise anyone because he has seen a lot. At 100, we can list 10 events (from 1924 to 2024) that he had been witness to, but first, let's contextualize Manong Johnny's, err, maturity.

Here are 16 things that are either as old as or older than Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

1| Winnie the Pooh

Of course, we don't mean the Disney version of Winnie the Pooh. Senator Enrile is as old as A.A. Milne's anthropomorphic bear. If Enrile were a book, he would be under classics.

2|  The Murder Bag

Photo by CRIME MUSEUM UK.

The Murder Bag is a standard forensic kit for investigating crime scenes (sorry, it's not a bag containing tools for murder!). 

3| Facial Tissue

Photo by Evan-Amos | Wikimedia Commons.

Senator Enrile is as old as Kleenex, which is practically synonymous to facial tissue. 

4| Peugeot Type 177 

Photo by AUTO GALLERY.

When Manong Johnny was born, the Peugeot Type 177 was introduced to the market. Its fancy features include a transparent root, and it has a maximum power output of 29 horse power at 1,900 rpm. 

5| Marlon Brando and Truman Capote

Brando and Capote are now deceased and resting in peace. Enrile also outlived Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Capote in a biopic. 

6| Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf

In 1923, Hitler tried to stage a coup and seize power in Germany. He was jailed for his actions in February 1924—the same month and year of Manong Johnny’s birth), and during this time, he wrote the infamous Mein Kampf. No further comments.

7| Talkies and Silent Films

When he was born, the silent film The Sea Hawk was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Just a year prior to Manong Johnny's birth, the first commercial screening of motion pictures were conducted in the New York Rivoli Theater. There was still much debate about it and it would take three more years before talkies eventually won...maybe about the same time when Senator Enrile himself was beginning to be more "talky" as a child too.

8| The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Photo by JOHN TREWELL.

For context, here is a photo of Manila in 1924. That year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was established, and, it was also during this year that our country participated in the Summer Olympics in France. If Senator Enrile were a moment, the adjective for him would be "historic."

9| Mickey Mouse and TV

Photo by SEAN GO.

Mickey Mouse was born into the world in 1928 from the beautiful minds of Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Who knows what Manong Johnny was watching before the fabled mouse. Hell, who are we kidding? He's older than televisions, too!

10| Bubble Gum

Photo by WIKIPEDIA.

Bubble gum only became a thing in 1928. Before that, Enrile's generation sucked on hard candy.

11| Penicillin

Photo by COURTESY.

When Manong Johnny was born, infections like pneumonia, gonorrhea, and rheumatic fever had no effective treatment. Hospitals were full of people who would contract blood poisoning from scratches, too. Different times indeed.

12| EDSA

Photo by SHARLEEN BANZON.

EDSA has been renamed a few times in Enrile's lifetime. It was once named Avenida 19 de Junio for Jose Rizal's birthday in 1946. In the '50s, it was Highway 54. In1959, we finally became a proper country and named the road Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, after the Rizal historian and jurist.

13| Oscars

Photo by SCREENSHOT.

In the inaugural Oscars, Emil Jannings, Warner Baxter, and George Arliss would usher in the hottest new awards show in Tinseltown. Enrile was five years old at the time.

14| Suntan Lotion

The earliest kind of sunscreen was made in 1938 by Franz Greiter. Before that, people just didn't give a hoot about skin cancer. Neither does Enrile probably. He's immortal.

15| Helicopters

Photo by John-Paul Thorbjornsen.

Funny enough, the world's first helicopter made its debut in 1939. Manong Johnny was just 15 then.

16| Sliced Bread

Yeah, sliced bread was a miracle when it came out in 1928. Not as big a miracle as Enrile turning 100 though.

From: SPOT.ph