Filipinos, who are victims of hate crimes in the United States, were told to let the Philippine consulate know or seek help from the local police in their areas.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday, May 20, that Filipinos can actually approach both authorities as they are both part of a system that responds to Asian hate incidents.
"Kung may mga kababayan po tayo na nakaranas ng ganito (If we have fellow Filipinos experiencing hate crimes), all they have to do is not just approach the consulate but go to your local police, malaki ho yung sistema ng America (has a huge system) when it comes to helping not only Asians but the rest of the other nationalities as far as hate crime is concerned," Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Paul Raymund Cortes said in a press briefing.
Local police department in New York, according to Cortes, helps in the filing of cases.
Cortes further said that in New York, an Office of Victims Services was established to provide mental health support programs to migrants who are victims of Asian hate crimes.
This is part of the Anti-Asian Hate Campaign of the Philippine government, Cortes said.
"Itong gobyerno po natin, itong konsulado, e tumutulong sa mga kababayan nating naging (Our government, our consulate, are helping our fellowmen who are) victims, they go to the local police kasi meron ho silang sistema dito, ito yung mga (because they have system here for) hate crimes and the local police and the local authorities help out as far as filing of cases are concerned," the DFA official said.
"At kasama na rin dito yung mga legal redress para sa kanila (This include the assistance for legal redress)—yung mga abogado na (the lawyers that) again given by the host government, by the US, at tinutulungan din ng konsulado to (which the consulate helps to) spread awareness, hindi lamang sa (not just in the) community sa (in) New York but elsewhere para maintindihan nila kung ano yung mga elemento ng (for them to understand the elements of) hate crime and how to avoid situations kung saan (where) it becomes very difficult to manage," he added.
At present there are about 39 documented cases of Asian hate crimes reported at the Philippine Consulate General in New York.