The Philippine Consulate in New York has reported that another elderly Filipino was recently assaulted in Manhattan, the latest in the string of violence and harassment involving a Filipino national in its area.
The Consulate General said the victim was walking along Madison Avenue near East 52nd St. when “she was punched without provocation by another woman,” who immediately fled.
“In view of this incident, the Consulate reminds members of the Filipino Community, as well as kababayans visiting New York to exercise the necessary precautions at all times while on the streets or in the subways,” the Consulate said.
The Consulate did not provide details if the incident which was dubbed as a case of Asian hate but the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured that the issue had been raised by the Philippine government with US officials.
“The issue of Asian hate crime has been raised by the Philippine government with US officials. Recently, Philippine Consul General in New York Elmer Cato raised this issue with the concerned authorities in New York City, who gave the assurance that they are taking this matter very seriously and are taking steps to address it,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement.
“We assure our fellow Filipinos that our Consulate General in New York will continue monitoring these incidents accordingly and is ready to assist hate crime victims and other distressed Filipinos in the area,” she added.
Under the Consulate’s 10-state jurisdiction, there are about 450,000 Filipinos. Daza said the 74-year-old Filipino’s assault brings to 43 the number of cases of “race-based violence, harassment, and other criminal incident involving Filipinos” monitored by the Consulate.
