(Eagle News) — The Department of Foreign Affairs urged Filipinos in the United States to remain vigilant and immediately report any hate crimes against members of the Filipino community there to the Philippine Embassy or to the Consulates General.
The DFA made the call as it welcomed the arrest of the suspect in the brutal beating of a 65-year-old Filipino-American in New York on Monday, March 29.
Media reports said Brandon Elliot, 38, was nabbed by authorities days after he was seen kicking and stomping the victim in a surveillance video.
The reports said Elliot, who had been heard shouting anti-Asian slurs in the video, had been out on parole after being convicted of stabbing his mother to death in 2002.
He had also been arrested for robbery in 2000, the reports said.
“We express our gratitude to US law enforcement agencies for their swift action, as well as to those who contribute to efforts to ensure that perpetrators of violence against Asian Americans, including Filipinos, are apprehended,” the DFA said.
