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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile from his alleged betrayal to former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr during the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.

In an interview with host Toni Gonzaga aired on Tuesday night, Marcos expressed belief that what Enrile did to his father was not an attack but just his own way of defending the country.

"That wasn’t the point. The point was something else. He has explained it. So we have talked about it so often. And for me, it didn't seem to be an attack really on my father because also I was privy to their conversations when he was in (Camp) Crame I am holding the telephone of my dad. So I heard their conversation," said Marcos.

"I think he felt that he was really defending the country in some way. Anyway, whatever it is, we have discussed it sufficiently that we are happy to be with one another and happy to work with one another," he said.

Marcos noted that he doesn't see any reason for Enrile to betray him like what he did to his father.

"I don’t see any reason for him to betray me. The times are just too different for us to be able to say that you know that we will do the same thing. And also you see, it is his time of life," he said.

"He’s 98 years old. So I guess he just wants to keep working, watching it from my side. It is like a natural progression where he returns to the Palace as the Presidential Legal Adviser," he added.

Marcos said he appointed Enrile as his chief legal counsel because he is one of the best lawyers in the country .

"He’s like my uncle. I call him Tito Johnny. And I have called him that since I was a child. Since 1986, we have talked many times. Put it this way, he is brilliant... He is one of the maybe what ? three best lawyers that I know in the Philippines," he said.

"So as a legal adviser, he certainly fits the bill. He certainly fills the bill. So that’s not a problem. Many things have already happened since ‘86," he added.

It can be recalled that the withdrawal of support by Enrile and the late Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos from the Marcos administration along with top military officials triggered the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that led to the ouster of the former dictator. Robina Asido/DMS