MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines condemned the “terrorist attack” on a packed London Underground train on Friday, September 15 which injured at least 22 people. 

“We denounce this act of terror perpetrated against the British people. We are one with our British friends at this time and express our hope that the perpetrators will soon be brought to justice,” Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement sent to reporters at 1 am, Saturday, September 16.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, about 182,700 Filipinos live in the United Kingdom, a majority or 70% in the Greater London area.

But there were no Filipinos among the injured, according to the Philippine Embassy in London. Ambassador to London Antonio Lagdameo said they are continuously monitoring the situation.

“We pray for the speedy recovery of those who were injured in this explosion,” Cayetano said, urging members of the Filipino community in London to remain vigilant.

Authorities in London are treating the incident at the Parsons Green station as a “terrorist incident,” after assessing that an improvised explosive device was detonated on a Tube train Friday morning.

Witnesses reported seeing passengers covered in blood and with facial burns and hair coming off at Parsons Green station in west London after the explosion on the train.

Of the injured, 18 people were taken by ambulance to hospital, while 4 others made their own way to hospitals.

A total of 35 people have been killed in 4 previous attacks in London and Manchester since March.

Three of those involved a vehicle ploughing into pedestrians, while the other attack was a bombing in May at a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester which killed 22 people, including children. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com