Recalling the PMA Bombing Incident of 1987
By Art Tibaldo
‘Still vividly pictured in my mind is the severely injured officer on the hood of an army jeep with blood soaked uniform being rushed to the nearest hospital.’ This after 39 years.
During the March 18, 1987 cadet’s rehearsal at the Borromeo Field few days before the scheduled graduation, a bomb explosion happened at the Philippine Military Academy grandstand killing ranking soldiers, enlisted men and wounding many others.
It was believed to be a premature explosion meant for President Corazon C. Aquino when she addresses the graduating class.
Thirty nine years ago, I was already working with the #PhilippineInformationAgency and happened to be at PMA arranging for the accreditation of journalists when that fateful incident happened.
On my way to the grandstand looking for Col. Eduardo Purificacion who was then the academy’s PIO, I was met by Mang Senyong, (Arsenio Frianeza) PIA’s AV Technician and driver exclaiming, “Ay Agii Art, lumundag ang Nissan ey, Alis na tayo”, in his Pangasinense intonation, he was referring to our service Nissan Patrol parked near the grandstand that ‘jumped’ or was blown-off the ground.
There was pandemonium, I heard shouting and crying and debris from the shattered roof shingles scattered the place. I witnessed a ranking official with blood oozing from his injured face slumped on the hood of a Kennedy type jeep in a rush to bring him to the nearest medical facility.
I didn’t bring a camera (actually I forgot) and even if I did, my compassion and empathy for that officer would not have allowed me to aim my lens on him even if it would mean a photojournalism Pulitzer award.
As people in the area scampered, my immediate reaction was to call my office and alert media on what happened.
I immediately went back to the PIO Office at Melchior Hall, used the landline and called my officemate Nathan Alcantara who advised me to also call senior anchor person Willy Cacdac at DWHB to report what had happened.
When Mang Senyong and I left the incident area, security tightened and we were stopped from leaving at the PMA gate.
Moments later, newsmen were already outside the gate trying to get access to get in but were not allowed. Because I carried an official letter requesting for media accreditation and we came in a government vehicle, Mang Senyong and I were able to leave the military facility without much hassle.
The administration of President Cory during this period also had numerous coup attempts and this was among the most destabilizing as it posed threats to national security.
During the actual graduation, President Aquino condemned the bombing referring it as a terrorist attack but by August of the same year, some PMA tactical officers attempted to agitate the cadets to join the mutiny against the widowed President.
Fast forward on July 4, 2026, my wife and I were called to be with Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. for a special Testimonial Parade and Review at PMA where the Baguio boy and Outgoing AFP Chief of Staff was awarded Most Outstanding Graduate from the #PhilippineMilitaryAcademy. While seated at the front row of the grandstand recollecting my years as a practicing newsman covering PMA graduations way back in 1983 with the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Redjie Melvic Cawis of PIA-CAR caught my attention as he climbed the media platform in front of us with his long lens.
It made me realize that Redjie, my former communication student has become the PIA’s coordinator to PMA for media accreditations. Another former student Jonathan Llanes, also a practicing newsman was with us during the July 4 event giving me some kind of a nostalgia or sentimental journey of my past engagements as a newsman.
#ArtibalChronicles
