Vice President Leni Robredo has called on US President Joe Biden to ensure the safety of all Asians and other minority groups following a series of hate crimes in the United States.
“Hatred has no place in any society that wishes to heal,” she said.
“I am hopeful that the United States government, under the leadership of President Joseph Biden Jr., will ensure the safety of all Asians and minority groups, even as it works to address the deeper issues of racism and racial violence,” Robredo added.
Earlier, a 65-year-old Filipino-American woman was punched and kicked by a man in broad daylight in New York City.
The attacker yelled, “You don’t belong here,” then kicked the woman several times on the head and stomach.
Reports showed that no one came to the victim’s aid, and a doorman who witnessed the attack in front of a building where it happened closed the door on her.
“The recent attacks against Asians in the United States are deeply concerning, and an appalling turn of events,” Robredo said.
“At a time when the world should come together in solidarity against the greater threat of the pandemic, Asians, some of them Filipinos, have been singled out as targets of rage and racial hatred. This has contributed to a climate of growing fear in an atmosphere already made volatile by COVID-19,” she added.
In February, the Philippine Embassy in Washington advised Filipinos in the United States to exercise “utmost caution” amid rising incidents of hate crimes against Asians in the country.
“We note with concern the rise in attacks on Asian Americans in various parts of the country. Filipinos are advised to exercise utmost caution in view of these incidents,” the embassy said.
US media outlets have recently reported a wave of attacks against Asians and Asian-Americans in several states, prompting calls for action and vigilance among Asian communities.
The embassy called on federal, state and local authorities to further ensure the protection of persons of Asian descent, including Filipinos. Filipinos who experience attacks are advised by the embassy to immediately call 911 to report incidents.