MANILA — Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Ma. Sison masterminded the 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing that left nine people dead and more than 90 others injured, one of CPP’s founding fathers said.
In a documentary produced by Sambayanan, CPP founding member Ruben Guevarra tagged Sison as the one who gave orders to throw grenades at the said gathering.
“Ang Plaza Miranda bombing ay bahagi lamang ng isang serye ng kampanya na ginawa ng CPP. Ito’y bahagi nang sinasabi naming Oplan Big Leap Forward (The Plaza Miranda bombing is only a part of a series of campaign done by the CPP. This is part of what we call Oplan Big Leap Forward),” recalled Guevarra, who was also then part of CPP’s Central Committee.
Guevarra said anyone who revealed the CPP’s involvement in the bombing suffered the highest form of punishment in their organization but added that bomb man Danny Cordero himself was standing firm on the fact that it was Sison who gave them the command for the bombing.
Guevarra said the CPP also conspired with the government of then-Chinese leader Mao Zedong to wage an armed battle.
“Nung naipakita na namin ‘yung umiral na ‘yung revolutionary situation, may kakayahan na talaga na armado ang New People’s Army na sumagupa, ipagkakaloob na sa amin ni Cho In Li ‘yung tulong na pinansyal at armaments (When we were able to show a revolutionary situation, and that the NPA was ready to wage an armed battle, then Chinese Premier Cho In Li would grant us financial help and armaments),” he said.
In the same documentary, former top NPA commander Victor Corpus corroborated Guevarra’s story, saying he was the one who gathered the firearms in Isabela.
Guevarra said the fact that the communist struggle lasted for 50 years showed that Filipinos do not want the ideology.
“Huwag na tayong patangay diyan sa sinasabi ng mga komunista, limampung taon na ito (Let us not be swayed by the words of the communists, it has been 50 years), my God,” Guevarra added.
The communist ideology is not the solution as it destroys Filipino values of being God-centered and family-oriented, he stressed.
In an earlier statement, Department of National Defense (DND) secretary Delfin Lorenzana also tagged Sison as the mastermind of the Plaza Miranda bombing.
In August 1971, Liberal Party members held a miting de avance at the Plaza Miranda where two grenades were thrown at the stage. (PNA)
