ON 48TH YEAR OF PLAZA MIRANDA BOMBING
LP members vow to tirelessly, fearlessly pursue collective Filipino dream of freedom, justice, solidarity
MANILA – Dozens of non-politician members of the Liberal Party braved the rains to remember the Plaza Miranda bombing of the party’s miting de avance 48 years ago.
After the wreath-laying, Jao Orogo, member of the LP-Bulacan chapter, read a statement renewing LP members’ vow to be true to the party’s values of freedom, justice, and solidarity.
Orogo is among the 10,000 who have joined the party starting 2016 when LP president Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan opened it to non-politicians.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, Orogo said the attack on the party almost 50 years ago must be remembered and honored because people lost their lives in the fight against the Marcos dictatorship.
Orogo read the following statement:
“48 na taon na ang nakalipas mula nang tumagas ang dugo sa pook na ating kinatatayuan ngayon. Dito, hinagisan ng granada ang miting de avance ng oposisyon. Siyam ang patay, higit isangdaan ang sugatan. Kinalaunan, sinuspinde ang privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, na siya ring simula ng diktadurya ni Marcos.
Sa mga sumunod na dekada matapos ang pambobombang ito, saksi ang buong mundo: Masusugatan tayo, pero hindi mapapatahamik; magluluksa tayo, pero laging magpapatuloy. Iisa ang paraang dakilain ang alaala ng Plaza Miranda: Magsabi ng totoo, ipagtanggol ang karapatan, ang kalayaan at panlipunang katuwiran, makipagbayanihan. Anuman ang paniniil o panggigipit. Gaano man kalaki ang kalaban.
Walang tangkang historical revisionism ang babago ng kasaysayan at mga paninindigang ito. Bukas, babalik tayo sa sari-sariling mga buhay at sari-sariling mga laban, pero mananatili sa puso natin ang diwa ng ika-21 ng Agosto. Patuloy na tutugon sa hamon ng ating panahon. Muli’t muli tayong babangon nang buo ang pananalig upang walang-pagod at walang-takot na pagsikapan ang kolektibong mithiin ng ating bayan.
Padayon, Liberal — padayon sa kalayaan, sa katuwiran, sa bayanihan.”
The English translation is as follows:
“It’s been 48 years since blood flowed here where we stand now. Here, a grenade was lobbed at the miting de avance of the opposition. Nine were killed, over a hundred were injured. Later the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus was suspended, signaling the start of the Marcos dictatorship.
In the subsequent decades after this bombing, the world witnessed how we were wounded, but not silenced; how we grieved, but always carried on. One way to honor the memory of Plaza Miranda is to speak the truth, defend rights, freedom, and social justice, be in solidarity. In whatever oppression or repression. However powerful the enemy.
No attempt at historical revisionism will change what came before and what principles we stand for. Tomorrow, we will return to our own lives in our own everyday battles, but the spirit of August 21 will remain. Continuing to respond to the calls of our time. Again and again we will rise with lasting faith to tirelessly and fearless pursue our collective dreams as a people.
Forge on, Liberal — forge on to freedom, justice, and solidarity.”