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Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo appealed to United States President Joe Biden to ensure the safety of all Asians and minority groups following the mounting hate crimes in the US during the coronavirus pandemic.

The second highest official of the Philippines issued this rare statement of appeal to a foreign head of state on Monday, April 5, less than a week after a man punched then kicked a 65-year-old Filipino-American woman in New York City. 

Robredo said the hate crimes against Asian Americans are “deeply concerning” and contribute to a “climate of growing fear” during the COVID-19 crisis. 

“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. This has contributed to a climate of growing fear in an atmosphere already made volatile by COVID-19,” said the Vice President. 

Robredo hopes Biden would work to protect Asians against the spate of hate crimes, adding that Filipinos “stand as allies” with Americans in upholding democratic values. The Philippines is the oldest treaty ally of the US in Asia.

“Hatred has no place in any society that wishes to heal. 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,” said Robredo.

“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. 

Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition formed to record attacks and acts of discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the pandemic, recorded 3,795 hate incidents from the start of the pandemic last year to February 28, 2021.

Based on the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data for 2018, there are over 4 million Filipinos in the US, mostly in California. 

The Philippines has already sent a note verbale to the US calling its attention to the rising number of attacks on Asian Americans. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also urged US authorities to “ensure the protection” of Asian Americans.

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez earlier said the country first called the attention to the safety of Asian Americans in September 2020, when Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump was still president.

US officials led by Trump referred to COVID-19 as the “China virus.” Trump then continued to make the reference despite criticisms and reports that his racial statements fueled discrimination and attacks against the Asian American community. – Rappler.com