My prayers to all the injured and my condolences for the families who lost loved ones – I’ve been doing reports overseas the last few hours.

In my post-bombing reports to news organizations about the bombing I was asked in a report I did a few hours ago- why there -what was the motive: at that location: In a sentence – the anchor asked – Is that a area frequented by foreign tourists or business people – I answered No… its a part of the mall where the middle class of makati shop… where teens are… parents with kids… the working class of the financial district.

The anchor summed it up in a sentence – so this doesnt seem to be typical terrorism of the extremist variety – this seems to be Political and sends a message “the middle class were the targets.’

The area inside also mostly where the kids shops are on the second floor, the shops here are mostly frequented by students.

The targets here are not foreigners. the shops are mostly middle class spots, the target of this bomb as indicated by the victims seems to be the middle class. And its most precious asset its children. Also this area is frequented by OFW kids and call center workers.

The aisle coming in from the central mall area is full of shops all for teens.- and mostly young women. There is a small area where they even used to rent out ‘rides’ for kids. I’m not sure if that was still there. looking at interior post blast pictures this does not seem the case. But one floor above is where a lot of the shoppers for children’s clothes are:

Also an area where you can buy spoof shirts agian ringed by shops for teenagers mostly. Its not the part of mall frequented by the wealthy if as the pictures show the bomb was placed in area where mostly middle class Filipinos frequent. considering the position of the crater. Then the target of this bombing – was not the thousands oif wealthy shoppers who pass nearby entrances more suited for cars and SUV’s.

This is also a employee pathway. A way towards where commuter buses and FX taxis are – its an area that is not a place where people looking for taxi’s wait or But near the crowded cross walk where hundreds of thousands traverse. the timing is also a lean time – not the time the mall is fullest- most lunch crowd people head home by 1:30 – hence its the least populated part of the mall in an area where shopper traffic is less.

It is less crowded, even at peak time, but the crowds there in the daytime are mostly young. It is also near an older part of the mall. Bombings like this always carry some form of message – as indicated by the target.

Analysts looking at the area and seek a target or motive. Ease of access might also be a reason. But the area also has the smallest portion. At night it is near a spot frequented by shoppers – a few meters up the path is where a number of shops are frequented by Makati’s single women. A number of less expensive shops mostly targeting office workers, secretaries.

But at 1:30 most of these people are at work.

Location is everything and often has meaning – even as drebris is being cleared overnight and experts look for what exactly did it. One thing is clear. the area where the crater is tells more about the motive than just the entire mall.