Enrile vs. Trillanes: Clashing Senators

Two days ago on September 19, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV clashed over a bill aimed at dividing the province of Camarines Sur.  Enrile then started to attempted to expose the role of Trillanes as special envoy of the Philippines in the Scarborough Shoal dispute with China, but the latter walked out of the Senate floor.

Instead of delving into the word war between these honorable men - the oldest and the youngest in the Senate - I will share a few snippets I learned from their resumes.

Source: Web site of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile was born Thursday, February 14, 1924. He is 88 years old - the most senior among the Senators of the 15th Congress of the Philippines

He is popularly known as Johnny / Manong Johnny. (Note: Manong is an honorific for elder men in the Philippines.)

Enrile is currently serving his third term as Senator; 1987-1992, 1995-2001; 2004-present.

In 1953, Enrile earned his Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines. He graduated cum laude and salutatorian.

Enrile was Defense Minister when martial law was declared in the Philippines in 1972.

SOURCE: Web site of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV was born on Friday, August 6, 1971. He is 41 years old - the youngest among the Senators of the 15th Congress of the Philippines.

He is popularly known as Sonny (rhymes with Johnny).

Trillanes started his Senate term in 2007.

From 1987 to 1991, Trillanes studied at De La Salle University in Manila where he took up Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Enginnering. In 1991, he formally entered as a cadet in the Philippine Military Academy where he graduated Cum Laude in 1995.

Trillanes was more than a year old when martial law was declared in 1972.