Enrile moves to Crame

DEFENSE Minister Juan Ponce Enrile abandoned his stronghold at the Ministry of National Defense building in Camp Aguinaldo and dug in with Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos at the latter’s Camp Crame headquarters at 2 p.m. yesterday as troops loyal to President Marcos tightened a ring of steel around the two military camps.

Accompanied by six trucks and four jeeps, Minister Enrile left Camp Aguinaldo after receiving reports that units from Marcos loyalist Gen. Josephus Ramas were moving, in from Fort Bonifacio. Other reports said the troops were part of the Marines under Gen. Tadiar.

In combat green fatigue jacket, Enrile grinned at journalists saying “I am moving out from the building but we are not going to surrender.” He had earlier told journalists, “We have enough capability to resist any aggression from them.”

A mammoth crowd met Minister Enrile at the gate of Camp Aguinaldo fronting Camp Crame. Chanting “Johnny, Johnny,” the crowd parted like the Red Sea, allowing Enrile and his 300-strong security to cross the highway beating their arms,

Enrile had earlier met with 22 retired generals led by former Defense Secretary Gen. Jesus Vargas. The retirees offered him and Ramos “our moral support, completely.”

In between calls to Gen. Ramos, Enrile chatted with newsmen, stressing his holdout “for as long as we are alive.”