A PARTY-LIST lawmaker has urged Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison to explain to the Filipino people his role in the Plaza Miranda bombing on Aug. 21, 1971, that killed nine people and injured 95 others, including many prominent Liberal Party politicians.
Rep. Lito Atienza, in a privilege speech Monday night, accused Sison of masterminding the bombing, ordering the throwing of grenades during a campaign rally of the Liberal Party at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila, 45 years ago and clearing the late President Ferdinand Marcos of any responsibility over the incident.
Atienza urged Sison to clear his name even as he said Marcos merely did his best to stop the communists from taking control of the government.
“Joma Sison should explain this before the public, Atienza said.
He made his statement even as the negotiators from the Philippine government and the communist National Democratic Front on Tuesday buckled down to work and held successive meetings in Oslo to forge a final peace agreement within six to 12 months and to end the communist insurgency.
The negotiators held their meetings after an opening ceremony at the Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel in Oslo.
Atienza also urged President Rodrigo Duterte to unmask the brains behind the Plaza Miranda bombing and the 1983 assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., two bloody incidents that were both blamed on Marcos.
“I call on President Duterte to do something about it and act right now before it is too late,” Atienza said.
“I am appealing to you to do something, find out who is guilty behind the Plaza Miranda bombing and who is equally guilty in Ninoy’s assassination for the good of the nation.”
Earlier, Atienza appealed to the Filipinos to allow Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City. With PNA