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By Efren L. Danao Senior Reporter
A SENATE session last week was
disrupted for almost 30 minutes, and then abruptly adjourned after a
short resumption, when Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile raged over what he
considered an attempt by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon to belittle EDSA 1.
Biazon was sponsoring a
resolution congratulating the Outstanding Soldiers selected by
Metrobank and urging them not to join any military adventurism when
he spoke of “the so-called EDSA 1.”
“I feel offended by the
so-called EDSA. I risked my life in EDSA—you did not,” Enrile
said with a raised voice.
Enrile, along with then Col.
Gringo Honasan, now a fellow senator, and then Armed Forces vice
chief of staff Fidel Ramos, later to become president, led EDSA 1
that caused the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship. Biazon was in
Davao as commander of a Marine contingent when EDSA erupted in
February 1986.
“Who are you to say that? I
risked my life in EDSA. If EDSA meant nothing to you, it meant a lot
to me!” he said.
The suspension of the session did
nothing to cool down Enrile. He said that Biazon was talking on
record about a historic event and he could not let it pass.
“He said that on record and in
my presence,” Enrile fumed.
Sen. Bong Revilla tried to cool
Enrile down by offering him a glass of water.
“I am not a little boy!”
Enrile barked as Revilla beat a hasty retreat with his water.
Biazon approached Enrile and said
that he really did not mean to denigrate EDSA. Enrile, however,
retorted that what Biazon said was on record.
“I am willing to lose my life
to protect my honor,” Enrile said.
Biazon then stood up and looked
sidewise at Enrile as he left.
After about 30 minutes, Senate
Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan moved for the adoption of the
resolution on the outstanding soldiers and for the adjournment of
the session. The session ended without Biazon and Enrile patching up
their differences.
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