I’ll never surrender – Enrile
“I will never surrender. I have never committed any crime.”
This was the reaction of Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to the late night statement of President Marcos telling him and Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos to give their stand at Camps Aguinaldo and Crame in Quezon City.
“If the President is going to kill me then my blood be part of this land,” Enrile said as he waited in the Ministry of National Defense Social Hall in Camp Aguinaldo.
Enrile pointed out that should Mr. Marcos miscalculate his moves in reacting to their present stance, he will have a revolt in his hands.
“In my own personal view, my calculation is that if the President should wake the fatal error of shedding the blood of these young officers – never mind about me because he can have me shot – but if he will shed the blood of these young officers who are with us here in this camp, I don’t think he will be able to live through it,” Enrile said.
Enrile, however, could not discount the possibility of bloodshed with the President’s strong statements warning them of the consequences should they try anything.
“It seems that killing in this administration is something that no longer bothers their conscience,” Enrile said.
Enrile further dismissed Mr. Marcos’ allegation that he and Ramos were conspiring to assassinate the Chief Executive as “a lot of bull”.
“That has been the same tactic used ever since before to smear people,” he pointed out.
“What I have done is my act of contrition to attone for my participation in the declaration of Martial Law,” he explained. “Had I known that Martial Law would be constituted to repress our people, I would not have agreed to its imposition.”
Enrile also expressed doubts over speculations that Mr. Marcos will re-impose martial law. “This time the people will not accept it and we will have an open civil war in this land,” he said.
Outside Camp Aguinaldo, an estimated 300,000 people gathered from all over Metro Manila to show their support for Enrile and Ramos.
Nuns and priests led prayers for the two military stalwarts and their men while others brought them and newsmen foodstuffs, drinks and cigarets.
Observed some military men outside the gate: “The sea of humanity that has gathered here will serve as buffer support in case troops loyal to Marcos carry out any offensive.”
by FERNANDO DEL MUNDO
THE Philippine Defense Minister and the deputy military chief, backed by an undetermined number of soldiers, seized control of the Defense Ministry and an adjacent military camp Saturday and demanded the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos.
Marcos said his government was in “complete control” and called on Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos and soldiers loyal to them to surrender to avert bloodshed. He said they could be “easily wiped out with simple artillery and tank fire.”
Marcos accused Ramos and Enrile of conspiring to assassinate him and First Lady Imelda Marcos in a coup d’etat Saturday night but that was aborted at the last-minute.
He said Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian C. Ver had talked with Enrile over the telephone and that Ver pledged not to move any troops loyal to Marcos against the Enrile-Ramos forces during the night.
“If they are going to hit us, this country will explode into a bloody confrontation,” Enrile told a reporter. “I hope he (Marcos) realizes he cannot cow us anymore. Enough is enough. Your time is up.”
Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Jaime Sin called on the people to support Enrile and Ramos who said they staged the mutiny over the outcome of the Feb. 7 presidential election battle between Marcos and Corazon Aquino.
“I am in deep concern about the situation of Minister Enrile and General Ramos,” Sin said. “I am calling our people to support our two good friends, show your solidarity, your support in this very crucial period.”
Aquino was holding a rally in the central City of Cebu when the mutiny occurred. Her whereabouts in Cebu were unknown but she was believed to be in hiding amid unconfirmed reports Marcos had issued a warrant for her arrest.
Enrile and Ramos accused Marcos of personally directing massive cheating and armed intimidation to officially defeat Aquino and vowed to fight to the death if troops loyal to Marcos launched an assault.
By midnight, nearly eight hours after the mutiny, thousands of Filipinos heeding Sin’s appeal over church-run Radio Veritas (truth) had gathered outside military headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in which the Defense Ministry is located.
Chants of “Cory, Cory” and “Marcos concede” roared from the crowd.
Enrile, wearing a flak jacket, and Ramos, in military uniform, announced to a news conference in the Defense Ministry late Saturday afternoon that they had taken control of it. They said they also controlled the camp perimeter but declined to specify how many troops they had deployed.
“We are not making a coup right now. We are merely defending ourselves,” said Enrile. “This is not just our fight but the fight of the entire Filipino people.”
Ramos, who is the chief of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) and the director general of the integrated national police – part of the 250,000-strong defense establishment – also appeared to control Camp Crame, the PC-INP headquarters located across the street, witnesses said.
Hundreds of troops armed with automatic rifles, M-16s, and M-79s swarmed the PC headquarters and outside. At least one machinegun was erected at the entrance to the building. Clusters of troops at both Crame and Aguinaldo listened to the church-run radio broadcasts on the mutiny.
