Philippine boxing icon and Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao on Thursday, April 1 joined the Asian community in condemning the series of attacks, discrimination and hate crimes against Asians in the United States.
Pacquiao posted the #StopAsianHate on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. In his post, he dared attackers to “Fight Me Instead” instead of attacking those “who can’t defend themselves.”
“We have one color in our Blood! Stop discriminating. LOVE AND PEACE TO EVERYONE!!” Pacquiao said on his social media posts.
The senator issued his statement on anti-Asian violence a day after a 65-year old Filipino-American was reportedly assaulted near Times Square in New York City, where the attacker reportedly yelled at her “you don’t belong here.”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, Jr. in a statement on Twitter, condemned the assault and branded it as “enraging.”
Locsin also said the matter could influence Philippine foreign policy amid the rising tension and number of anti-Asian violence in the US.
The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. earlier called on the US State Department to address the growing anti-Asian attacks, which started when the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally in 2020.
The Embassy has also urged US authorities to ensure the protection of Asian-Americans, including Filipinos, during the pandemic.