MANILA, Philippines – It’s Maundy Thursday, but Sen. Manny Pacquiao is not in a forgiving mood.
“Ako labanan mo, duwag! (Fight me instead, you cowards!) ”
The boxing champ-turned-politician on Thursday issued this challenge to attackers of Filipinos and other Asian-Americans in the United States amid rising anti-Asian violence there.
On social media, Pacquiao called for an end to attacks against those “who can’t defend themselves.”
He also added: “We have one color in our Blood! Stop discriminating.”
We have one color in our Blood! Stop discriminating. LOVE AND PEACE TO EVERYONE!! #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/RuLtXraCQQ
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) April 1, 2021
A string of anti-Asian crimes have recently been reported in the United States. Among the latest ones is an attack against a 65-year-old Filipino-American woman in New York.
A CCTV footage of the attack showed that she was repeatedly kicked in the head. Local authorities have reportedly arrested the attacker.
Likewise, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian blasted “racists in America” and referred to them as “demons.”
“‘Yan ang dapat pang laban natin sa mga Asian haters sa Amerika. Mga demonyo na yon mga racist sa Amerika,” Gatchalian said in a tweet, reacting to Pacquiao’s remarks against Anti-Asian violence.
(That’s who we should pit against Asian haters in American. Those devil racists in America.)
Yan ang dapat pang laban natin sa mga Asian haters sa Amerika. Mga demonyo na yon mga racist sa Amerika. https://t.co/ad8MTONSVB
— Sherwin Gatchalian (@stgatchalian) April 1, 2021
READ: ‘That’s enraging:’ Locsin says NY attack on Fil-Am senior to influence PH foreign policy
Senator Risa Hontiveros also condemned the rising hate crimes aimed at Asian-Americans.
“My heart goes out to Asian [Americans], esp[ecially] Fil-Ams, who experience this horrific level of cruelty. Ang sakit sa puso,” she said in a tweet Wednesday.
My heart goes out to Asian Ams,esp Fil-Ams,who experience this horrific level of cruelty. Ang sakit sa puso.
Sa mga kababayan natin sa Amerika,ingat kayo,at mag-reach out kung kailangan niyo ng anumang tulong mula sa amin. You may e-mail us at risahq@gmail.com. #StopAsianHate https://t.co/mgNf9GaYL4
— risa hontiveros (@risahontiveros) March 31, 2021
Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez said Washington has been taking “stringent steps” to curb anti-Asian violence there in response to frequent reports of such incidents.
Among these steps are setting up “special hotlines” and the deployment of more law enforcers in public vehicles and in areas where a large number of Asian Americans work and reside, according to Romualdez.