Terrorist

I read from the paper last Sunday that the verdict was given to the three suspects of the Rizal Day Bombing last 2000. All three were convicted guilty of multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, and multiple attempted murder. They were sentenced with life imprisonment. That bombing killed 22 people and wounded many. It happened about 12 noon of December 30, 2000, it's also the death anniversary of our national hero, Jose Rizal. Thus, they called it Rizal Day bombing.

I have my own story about that gruesome day. I was in another city that time. I was supposed to go back to the university where I was studying after the Christmas break. My bus is scheduled to leave at 5:00 PM. I boarded 15 minutes earlier, showed my ticket, placed my big black backpack on my seat and left to buy something to eat.

When I head back to the bus, all the passengers who boarded earlier were outside and they were looking at my direction. Well, they were actually looking at me with careworn expressions in their faces. I wondered but didn't ask and just proceeded to the door and went to my seat. Then a man approached me, he was quite pissed, and told me, "You frightened the passengers. They thought you planted a bomb because you left your bag and left right away. They went out of the bus as soon as you left. Didn't you know that there was a bombing earlier in Manila?"

I felt both funny and ashamed. I have just been mistaken as a terrorist! I said sorry and I didn't look at any passenger in the eye during the whole trip.