A Philippine Consulate General official was verbally abused and beaten aboard a New York City subway train on Friday, becoming the latest victim of bigotry and “Asian hatred.”
Also Read: 65-Year-Old Alleged Filipina Kicked to the Ground in New York Attack
Elmer Cato, the Philippine Consul General in New York, stated that the event occurred on Friday. According to Cato, an anonymous man approached the train and yelled expletives at the envoy.
Asian Hate: PH Diplomat Verbally Harassed in New York Subway
“On Friday, one of our colleagues at the Philippine Consulate General in New York became the latest victim of anti-Asian hate. Our colleague, a female consular officer, was verbally assaulted while on board the B train on her way to the Consulate yesterday morning,” said Consul General Elmer Cato, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
“An individual on board the train accosted her as soon as she stepped on board by asking her: “Where’d you come from? Where’d you come from?” The individual went on with his race-based tirade by saying: “We don’t need you here! We don’t need you here! F**k you! I hope you all die and everybody on this train,” added Cato.
This is the 14th anti-Asian hate crime involving a member of the Filipino community reported to the Consulate this year, according to Cato.
The event, according to Cato, has already been reported to the New York City Police Department.
“We are deeply disturbed by this incident which came a few days after a member of the Filipino community sustained injuries after he was violently assaulted in a subway platform in New York City,” said Cato on Saturday in a statement posted on social media.
A 61-year-old Filipino guy had his face slashed in the New York City subway just a few months ago.
“We join the Asia-American and Pacific Islander Community in condemning these incidents and in expressing our serious concern for the safety of our kababayan (countrymen) and other Asian-Americans in New York City,” said Cato.
“We call on authorities of New York City to take additional measures to make our kababayan and other Asian-Americans feel safe when outside their homes by increasing police presence especially in the subways and addressing the mental health concerns that reportedly affect as many as 40 percent of homeless individuals in the city, a number of who have also been involved in recent hate crimes against Asian Americans,” he added.
Cato warned all Filipino-Americans to be cautious outside their homes and on the metro.
“Kababayan should immediately call 911 if they witness any hate crime or if they become victims themselves. They are also encouraged to report any incidents to the Consulate,” he said.
READ NEXT: How Safe is the USA?
