A set of images circulating on social media in support of the anti-terrorism bill falsely claim that 22 people were killed and 100 hurt when a bomb exploded in a coach at a Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1) station during the Dec. 30, 2000 Rizal Day bombings.
The Facebook page of a local government unit in Mindanao and a Facebook user published a collage of images taken by Reuters of the aftermath of the explosion at the LRT station in Blumentritt, Manila along with this erroneous caption:
LRT BOMBING
ON 30 DECEMBER 2000, 22 KILLED AND 100 WERE WOUNDED
The LGU in Sison, Surigao del Norte posted the misleading content on its Facebook page on June 12. Facebook user “Riuh Dyes” uploaded the image and text even earlier, on June 9.
On Dec. 30, 2000, the 104th death anniversary of national hero Jose Rizal, five bombs went off within an hour in different parts of Metro Manila: the Blumentritt station of LRT Line 1; Plaza Ferguson in Malate, also in Manila; a gasoline station along EDSA in Makati; the Centennial Air Cargo warehouse at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 2; and a bus en route to Cubao, Quezon City via EDSA.
The five bombings left a total of 22 people dead and 120 injured.
News reports of the incidents and subsequent court decisions showed the blast at the LRT-1 coach killed 11 people, not 22 as the Facebook posts wrongly claimed.
The Department of Justice said in a report 19 people were wounded at the station, not 100 as the posts alleged.
Facebook account Riuh Dyes has posted almost a thousand posts relating to police activity and publicity.
Its Facebook ID, facebook.com/RIU10PCR, closely resembles the Facebook ID the Philippine National Police’s Social Media Directory lists for the PNP Regional Intelligence Unit in Region 10 or Northern Mindanao: facebook.com/RIU_10PCR. The latter, however, leads to a now unavailable Facebook profile.
RIU stands for Regional Intelligence Unit and PCR for Police Community Relations. Dyes is Spanish for 10.
A scan shows that the National Youth Commission’s Facebook page ran on June 9 a series of images backing the Anti-Terrorism Bill of 2020 using the same theme, layout and image size, but none of these were on the LRT bombing. The images were of the bombings in Jolo, Davao and Cotabato. (MEC)
References
Aning, J. (2012, January 27). CA affirms reclusion perpetua sentences on Rizal Day bombers. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/134759/ca-affirms-reclusion-perpetua-sentences-on-rizal-day-bombers
Aning, J. 2000, December 31. Bodies tell of deadly force of LRT blast. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0Yc1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=jyUMAAAAIBAJ&dq=bombings&pg=1417%2C7268736
Department of Justice. (2003). Accomplishment Report. Retrieved from https://www.doj.gov.ph/files/2003Annual.pdf
Dyes, R. (2020, June 9). [Facebook update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/RIU10PCR/posts/2671352403186818
Felipe, C. (2002, February 7). 'Arrest Rizal Day Bombers'. Philstar.com. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/metro/2002/02/07/149772/145arrest-rizal-day-bombers146
GMA News Research. (2009, January 23). Rizal Day bombing chronology. Gmanews.tv. Retrieved from http://www.gmanews.tv/story/145645/rizal-day-bombing-chronology
Merueñas, M. (2009, January 23). 3 men found guilty of murder in deadly Rizal Day bombings. GMA News. Retrieved from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/145592/3-men-found-guilty-of-murder-in-deadly-rizal-day-bombings/story/
National Youth Commission. (2020, June 8). [Facebook update] Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/nationalyouthcommission/posts/3539826046030894
Punay, E. (2012, January 27). CA affirms conviction of Rizal Day bombers. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/01/27/771349/ca-affirms-conviction-rizal-day-bombers
Ronoco, R. (2000, December 30). LRT Bombing. Reuters Pictures. Retrieved from https://pictures.reuters.com/CS.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=2C0BX4EBT5Y4&RW=1366&RH=635
Sison Mps Sdnppo. (2020, June 12). #TeamPNP #WeServeAndProtect [Facebook update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/sison.stasyon/posts/2666471166927913
Torres, T. (2009, January 23). Rizal Day bombers get life. Inquirer.net. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20090129021140/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090123-185101/Rizal-Day-bombers-get-20-years-in-jail