Remember Plaza Miranda
- Editorial Board
- Aug 21
- 2 min read
On the night of August 21, 1971, grenades exploded at a Liberal Party rally in Plaza Miranda. Nine people died. Many more were wounded, including opposition leaders. What should have been a night of free speech and debate turned into blood and fear.
The bombing was not just an attack on civilians. It became a tool for the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army - National Democratic Front of the Philippines to push their line and gain strength for their “people’s war.” The confusion and anger after Plaza Miranda worked in their favor. It made the use of armed struggle look more justified, and it helped them recruit and rationalize more violence.
Fifty-four years later, there is still no justice for Plaza Miranda. We may never know for sure who carried out the attack. But we do know who gained the most from it.
And this is precisely why we must continue remembering Plaza Miranda. Events like this show how terror can be twisted into an advantage for those who want war and are benefitting from it. It was never only about the blast itself; it was about how that violence was used to radicalize, divide, and prolong conflict.
Today, the CPP-NPA-NDFP is at its weakest, most vulnerable point, and Plaza Miranda calls us not to be complacent. The “people’s war” is fatally weakened, but it is not yet finished. Their operators, especially in the cities, are still trying to recover. The same tactics of violence, propaganda, and victimhood narratives are still deployed to keep the embers of conflict alive.
We honor the victims of Plaza Miranda. For Kontra Kwento, such stories remain essential to our collective memory and we commit to helping make sure no group can again use propaganda, disinformation, fear and violence to undermine our democracy.
Nice we have you now in our side