Elbo, Angelica Mae GED 105 Room 406

Bs. Architecture 2 Mr. Fidel Carinan 1:00 – 2:00

Analysis on Plaza Miranda bombing

The bombing of Plaza Miranda (Filipino: Pambobomba sa Liwasang Miranda) occurred on 21

August 1971 during a Liberal Party election campaign rally at Plaza Miranda in the district of
Quiapo, Manila, Philippines. It caused nine deaths and wounded 95 others including several
influential politicians in the Liberal Party. The campaign rally of the Liberal Party was held to
announce the candidatures of eight senatorial bids and the nominee for the Manila Mayoralty
race. Two hand grenades were reportedly thrown on the stage, as a crowd of about 4,000
gathered to hear speeches.

Among those killed instantly were a 5-year-old child and The Manila Times photographer Ben
Roxas. Almost everyone on stage was injured, including incumbent congressman for Palawan
and future senator Ramon V. Mitra Jr., incumbent Senator Jovito Salonga, Senator Eddie Ilarde,
Senator Eva Estrada-Kalaw, Liberal Party president Gerardo Roxas, Sergio Osmeña, Jr., son of
former President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines Sergio Osmeña, Atty. Martin B. Isidro
who served as Councilor, Vice Mayor and Congressman for the City of Manila, Ambrosio
"King" Lorenzo, Jr. who served as the 2nd District Councilor of Manila, and Ramon Bagatsing,
the party's mayoral candidate for the City of Manila.

Among the most critically wounded was Salonga. He was blinded in one eye by the explosion
and deaf in one ear. Small shrapnel bits remain embedded in his body until his death in 2016.
Councillor Ambrosio "King" Lorenzo, Jr. spent two weeks in a coma. He lost sight in his left eye
and on the same side listening. Ramon Bagatsing, the nominee for Manila's Liberal Party
mayoralty, lost his left leg and suffered a fractured right cheek bone and a broken right arm.

In his autobiography, Jovito Salonga notes his conviction that the blame for Sison and the CPP
lies. José María Sison appears to refute those allegations, and in the event the CPP has never
issued any formal proof of their guilt. Marcos blamed the communists, and thus reacted by
suspending the right of habeas corpus writing.

Some historians continue to believe that Marcos was perpetrating the bombing as a excuse for
his martial law declaration. A series of deadly bombings occurred in 1971, and the CIA claimed
privately that Marcos was responsible for at least one of these.