We won – Enrile I’m in charge – FM
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos went on television today, on the government TV channel, to proclaim he was still in charge and in full command – and had his press conference cut off the air when Channel 4 went dead.
It seems that while the President was proclaiming he was in control, pro-Enrile-Ramos forces were attacking Maharlika Broadcasting Corporation compound and succeeded in knocking out it’s transmitter.
Thirty minutes earlier, the most famous “rebels” in Philippine history, Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and AFP Vice-chief of staff Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos, announced in a press conference that Malacanang had surrendered, that the President was in Guam, that their “forces” now had control of the archipelago.
An hour afterwards, Ramos was on the air asking for one million people to mass at the Camp Crame gates to ward off a tank-led attack by forces under General Ver.
The Marcos press conference was apparently authentic although the Enrile-Ramos force claimed it had been videotaped earlier. In his press conference, the President touched on helicopters in Camp Crame as well as claims of victory by the Enrile Ramos forces events which had happened only an hour.
Marcos held his press conference with Mrs Imelda Marcos sitting by his side, playing with their grandchildren, and with son, Ilocos Norte governor Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos, daughters Imee Marcos-Manotoc, Irene Marcos-Araneta and son-in-law Greggy Araneta also clearly visible. Mr. Marcos took questions from the foreign press and had an argument in camera with AFP Chief of Staff General Fabian Ver over the disposition of civilians in the battle area.
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THE statements of victory were made too soon. They said: “the Filipino people have won: the Marcos regime has fallen; Enrile-Ramos are the victors.”
Made early Monday by Lt, Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, the announcement which caused the public to rejoice in the streets was soon doused by the appearance of President Ferdinand E. Marcos on television with the statement that he was still “in control”.
Still there was a general feeling of hope that the announcement from the holdout position at Camp Crame, made early in the morning, would be proven true.
The tense situation inside the armed camp was diffused after elements of the Philippine Air Force notified the “rebel command” of the departure of the first family.
All the forces of the military have pledged their total support for the new leaders of the country.
During a tearful valedictory statement, Defense Minister “Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramos thanked the military troops who were loyal to them particularly the Reform AFP Movement (RAM) headed by Col. Greg Honasan, Col. Rex Robles, Col. Vic Batac, and others. They assured the citizenry that the AFP will now protect and uphold the will of the Fil. people will abide by the goals and objectives envisioned at the start of the reform “revolution.”
“We want to assure the Fil people that civilian authority shall remain supreme. We have done our jobs. We will now go back to the barracks. We will confer with the Opposition. Cory Aquino and Doy Laurel, as well as all other leaders to determine what we are going to do. We want to consult with them because they are now our leaders,” was the two leaders’ joint statement.
Immediately after their victory statement, Enrile and Ramos went out of their command office and joined the hundreds of thousands of supporters who had earlier formed a human barricade to protect Camp Crame against the loyalist Marcos forces at the start of the popular uprising.
Camp Crame and its perimeter road was transformed into a mass of cheering humanity. There was dancing in the street as the Fil people jubilantly rejoiced upon receiving news of the Marcos’ departure and he fall of the regime.
