Boxing icon-turned politician Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Thursday condemned the rising number of hate crimes and discrimination that targeted Asian American in the US.
The boxing champion challenged the attackers of Filipinos and other Asian-Americans to fight him instead.
“Tigilan n’yo ang pag-atake sa mga Pilipinong walang laban. Ako ang labanan mo, duwag!” he tweeted, accompanied by posters of Filipino victims of hate crimes in the US. The slogan ‘Ako ang labanan mo, duwag!’ was written in various languages including English, Chinese and Korean.
He also called for an end in attacks and discrimination against Asian-Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have one color in our Blood! Stop discriminating. LOVE AND PEACE TO EVERYONE!! #StopAsianHate”, he added.
The tweet came a day after a 65-year-old Filipina was attacked near Times Square in New York City.
The Philippine Embassy in the US said Washington has been taking stringent steps to address the anti-Asian attacks in response to frequent reports of such incidents.
Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez urged US authorities to ensure the protection of Asian-Americans, including Filipinos, during the pandemic.
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