7-year-old Filipino boy confirmed dead in Barcelona terror attack – DFA

MANILA, Philippines – A 7-year-old Filipino boy has been confirmed as one of the 14 deaths in the terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain last Thursday, August 17, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday, August 21.

The boy was earlier listed as among the missing after a van plowed through a pedestrian-filled boulevard in the city center. He was separated from his mother when the incident occurred.

“According to Chargé d’Affaires Emmanuel Fernandez, the Philippine Embassy in Madrid was informed of the boy’s demise by his family after his father positively identified his remains,” the DFA said in its statement.

The boy’s mother is still confined in a hospital in Barcelona. She is in intensive care after undergoing surgery for fractures in both legs and one arm, the DFA said.

“It pains us to break the sad news to our kababayans (countrymen) that we lost one of our own in the recent violence unleashed by extremists against the innocent in Barcelona,” Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.

“We join the loved ones of our little brother in mourning his passing and in praying for the eternal repose of his soul.”

In Barcelona for wedding

The boy has been identified in reports by European and Australian media as 7-year-old Julian Alessandro Cadman, who is of British-Australian citizenship. His mother Jumarie, nicknamed Jom, is a Filipino who has been living in Australia, while his father is British.

The two were in Barcelona to attend the wedding of a Filipino relative, ITV News reported.  

In a heart-wrenching statement, Julian’s family described him as “a much loved and adored member of our family.”

“As he was enjoying the sights of Barcelona with his mother, Julian was sadly taken from us.

“He was so energetic, funny, and cheeky, always bringing a smile to our faces. We are so blessed to have had him in our lives and will remember his smiles and hold his memory dear to our hearts,” they said, thanking those who helped in the search for the boy.

“We will not be making any further comments on this tragedy and ask everyone, especially the media, to give us the privacy we need to grieve away from the public eye.”

Other Filipinos injured

There are also two Filipinos based in Italy, as well as 4 Irish-Filipinos, who were injured, and are now being attended to by Philippine diplomats, the DFA said. 

The Philippine Consulate in Milan will assist the two Italy-based Filipinos, one male and one female.

On the other hand, the Philippine Embassy in Madrid and Honorary Consulate in Barcelona are assisting the 4 Irish-Filipinos, identified as Norman Potot, 45, his wife Pederlita, 39, daughter Nailah Pearl, 9, and son Nathaniel Paul, 5, the DFA said.

Norman and Nathaniel, the department said, are still in the hospital, with Norman under observation for hematoma of the kidney, while Nathaniel is still recovering from surgery after fracturing a leg.

The Potot family, residents of Dublin, Ireland, were among the patients visited by Spain’s royal family at the Hospital del Mar on Saturday, August 19, the Irish Independent reported.

The fatalities include 4 Spaniards, two Portuguese, two Italians, an American, a Spanish-Argentinian, and a Belgian.

Among the 126 people injured in the twin attacks, 51 are still hospitalized, including 10 in critical condition and 13 in a serious state. – with reports from Agence France-Presse / Rappler.com