Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday urged U.S. President Joe Biden to protect Asians and other minority groups from hate crimes, which had been on the rise.
Robredo said Asians, including Filipinos, have been singled out as targets of rage and racial hatred, contibuting to a climate of fear made volatile by COVID-19.
"The recent attacks against Asians in the United States are deeply concerning, and an appalling turn of events. At a time when the world should come together in solidarity against the greater threat of the pandemic, Asians, some of them Filipinos, have been singled out as targets of rage and racial hatred," the Vice President said in a Facebook statement.
"Hate has no place in any society that wishes to heal," Robredo said.
Last week, a 65-year old Filipina-American was assaulted to the ground on her way to church in New York City, sparking outrage among Filipinos here and abroad in support of the #StopAsianHate movement.
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She called on the recently installed U.S. President to ensure the safety of Asians and people of Asian descent as she also urged him to address the "deeper issues of racism and racial violence".
"I am hopeful that the United States government, under the leadership of President Joseph R. Biden Jr., will ensure the safety of all Asians and minority groups, even as it works to address the deeper issues of racism and racial violence," Robredo said.
"Towards this common goal, we stand as allies of the American people, behind a long history of friendship and a shared commitment to upholding democratic values and the dignity of every human being," she added.
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