Rizal Day bombings
| Rizal Day bombings | |
|---|---|
| Location | Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Date | December 30, 2000 (UTC+8) |
| Target |
Plaza Ferguson, Malate, Manila; gas station, Makati; cargo handling area, Ninoy Aquino International Airport; bus, plying the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue route; train, Blumentritt station, Manila Light Rail Transit System Line 1 |
|
Attack type
|
Black-powder bombs |
| Deaths | 22 |
|
Non-fatal injuries
|
120 |
| Perpetrators | Islamist terrorists |
The Rizal Day bombings, also referred to as the December 30 bombings, were a series of bombings that occurred around Metro Manila in the Philippines on December 30, 2000. The explosions occurred in close succession within a span of a few hours. Twenty-two (22) fatalities were reported and around a hundred more suffered non-fatal injuries.
The blasts occurred during a national holiday in the Philippines, where December 30 is known as Rizal Day, commemorating the martyrdom of the country's national hero, José Rizal.
Five locations were bombed almost simultaneously within the span of an hour. All of the locations were situated within Metro Manila on the island of Luzon.
The Philippine National Police identified the bombs as one-kilogram black-powder bombs, set to detonate using timing devices.
In addition, confessions by the convicted perpetrators describe the bombs as ammonium nitrate-based explosives. Most of the components of the bombs such as blasting caps and detonating cords were discovered to have come from the city of Talisay in the southern province of Cebu. The town itself is known for the production of blasting caps used in illegal fishing.
Initially, various Islamic groups were implicated in the bombings, including the Jemaah Islamiyah, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the Moro National Liberation Front.
In September 2003, almost three years after the incident, the case remained unsolved as the authorities responsible were berated by then-senate president Franklin Drilon.
In May 2003, Saifullah Yunos (a.k.a. Mukhlis Yunos), a suspect in the bombings, was arrested in the southern city of Cagayan de Oro as he was about to board a plane to Manila. Police were alerted to the suspect when he failed to explain numerous bandages on his face and arms. A month later, he confessed to a level of involvement in the bombings. A member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's special operations group, he was charged with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder for his role in the bombings.
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