Rizal Day Bombs Fall: Manila's Terror and Tragedy

Twenty-two people dead in six hours. Five bombs across Metro Manila — a commuter bus in Makati, a park in Pandacan, a mall parking lot, an airport cargo area, a LRT station. The buses were packed with Christmas shoppers heading home. Most victims were just waiting. Police found three more devices that didn't detonate. The bombings targeted Rizal Day, the Philippines' most sacred holiday honoring their national hero. Investigators traced the attacks to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, though the group denied involvement. Within months, the government would launch its largest military offensive in years against separatist camps in Mindanao. The deadliest attack happened at 8:20 PM on a bus that had just picked up passengers near Glorietta Mall. None of the bombers were ever conclusively identified.