May 31 – A two-hour hostage crisis in Philtranco Bus Terminal in
Pasay ends with both a four-year-old boy and his hostage-taker killed following a highly-televised failed rescue attempt. Homicide charges would be filed against 22 city police officers, including those dismissed, a city police chief and seven of his men.[4]
June
June 7 – A rescue operation for the remaining
Abu Sayyaf captives, held since 2001, is launched by the Special Forces of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines in an area in
Zamboanga del Norte; with a gun battle resulting in the deaths of Martin Burnham and Ediborah Yap; only Gracia Burnham survived.
June 18–
19 – At least 16 members of the
Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, as well as two from the government forces, die in an overnight clash with combined forces who raided the Ecleo family mansion in
San Jose, then part of
Surigao del Norte, in their attempt to arrest the cult leader Ruben Jr. A fugitive accused of several murder cases, Ecleo surrenders on the 19th.[5]
October 2 – A
bomb blasts in front of a Malagutay district karaoke bar near a military arms depot[7] in
Zamboanga City killed an American
Green Beretcommando and three Filipino civilians. At least 25 other people, one of them another American trooper, are wounded in the blast.[8][9]
October 17 – Two TNT bombs explode around noon inside a shopping centre in the commercial district of
Zamboanga City, when the mall was most busy, killing at least seven and wounding about 150 people.[10] Two department stores are destroyed in the attack.
October 21 – A Philippine Marine guarding the church is killed and 18 others were wounded after a bomb, placed in bag left at a
candle store, exploded at
Fort Pilar, a Catholic shrine in
Zamboanga City.[11]
As per Executive Order No. 292, chapter 7 section 26, the following are regular holidays and special days, approved on July 25, 1987.[12] The EDSA Revolution Anniversary is proclaimed this year as a special non-working holiday.[13] On November 13, Republic Act No. 9177 declares Eidul Fitr as a regular holiday.[14] Note that in the list, holidays in bold are "regular holidays" and those in italics are "nationwide special days".
December 25 –
Coca-Cola Tigers wins their 1st PBA title with a 3–1 series victory over the
Alaska Aces as history was made on Christmas Day with the Tigers becoming the first team to win a championship in their very first season.