Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The recent attack against a 65-year-old Filipino-American is enraging and will influence Philippine foreign policy, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Wednesday amid the rising number of anti-Asian violence in the United States.
“This is gravely noted and will influence Philippine foreign policy. I might as well say it, so no one on the other side can say, ‘We didn’t know you took racial brutality against Filipinos at all seriously.’ We do,” Locsin said in a tweet.
This is gravely noted and will influence Philippine foreign policy. I might as well say it, so no one on the other side can say, “We didn’t know you took racial brutality against Filipinos at all seriously.” We do. https://t.co/CCDAo6h4rY
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) March 31, 2021
He was reacting to a news item regarding the attack against the elderly woman near Times Square in New York City, where the attacker reportedly yelled “You don’t belong here” at her.
‘That’s enraging’
In a separate tweet, Locsin branded the assault as “enraging.”
“That’s not heartbreaking, that’s enraging. And what goes around and kicks a lot will come around and get kicked backed a lot,” he said.
That’s not heartbreaking, that’s enraging. And what goes around and kicks a lot will come around and get kicked backed a lot. https://t.co/Zpy6q6n06C
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) March 30, 2021
Locsin added that the answer to racism “has to be police/military; not understanding.”
Racists understand only force,” he said in another tweet.
It might be noted in this context that when anti-Japanese sentiment ran high in China, and a Filipino family mistaken for Japanese on the street were killed, it was clearly not tolerated because when it spread to Filipino factories the owner got a call from the People’s… https://t.co/CCDAo6h4rY
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) March 31, 2021
The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. had previously alerted the U.S. State Department on the rise in anti-Asian attacks.
“We are very concerned about it. We already called the attention of the State Department at sinabi namin sa kanila na mukhang binibiktima yung mga Asian Americans dahil ang tawag nga ng gobyerno dito noon ay ‘China virus’,” Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez said in a radio interview on March 1, 2021.
(We are very concerned about it. We already called the attention of the State Department and told them about the rising number of victims of anti-Asian attacks, since the government before referred to Covid-19 as the ‘China virus.’)
The Philippine Embassy had also asked the U.S. authorities to ensure further protection of Asian-Americans, including Filipinos.