Rooftop ng Phil. Consulate General sa Saudi Arabia, nasunog

ni Lolet Abania | July 30, 2021

Sumiklab ang sunog sa rooftop ng isang gusali ng Philippine Consulate General sa Jeddah, Saudi Arabia nitong Huwebes nang umaga.

Sa isang interview kay acting Head of Post ng Philippine Consulate General sa Jeddah na si Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal, nag-umpisa ang sunog bandang alas-7:00 ng umaga, kung saan nagliyab umano ang rooftop ng Building 4 na inookupahan ng iba’t ibang attached agencies ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas gaya ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Pag-IBIG Fund at Social Security System (SSS).

Ayon kay Dingal, ang naturang rooftop ng gusali ang ginawang prayer room ng mga staff nilang Muslim.

“Sa initial naming pag-iimbestiga, lumalabas na posibleng nagsimula ang apoy sa natunaw na wiring na nakadikit sa mga carpet ... dala marahil ito ng mainit na panahon,” pahayag ni Dingal.

Agad namang naapula ang apoy ng kanyang mga security personnel dahil sa ginamit na mga bago nilang fire extinguishers habang mabilis na rumesponde ang mga bumbero at mga pulis sa lugar.

Iniimbestigahan pa sa ngayon ng mga awtoridad ang naging sanhi ng sunog habang hindi muna ipinagamit ang nasabing gusali.

Sinabi pa ni Dingal na wala namang nasaktan matapos ang sunog habang balik na sila sa kanilang normal na operasyon sa Consulate.

Pinay consular sa New York, pinagmumura sa loob ng tren

ni Ronalyn Seminiano Reonico | June 13, 2021

Nabiktima ng hate crime laban sa mga Asians ang isang Filipino consular officer sa New York noong Biyernes matapos siyang makaranas ng verbal harassment sa sinakyang tren papasok sa trabaho.

Ipinost ni Consul General Elmer Cato ang insidente sa kanyang Facebook account at aniya, “On Friday, one of our colleagues at the Philippine Consulate General in New York became the latest victim of anti-Asian hate. Our colleague, a female consular officer, was verbally assaulted while on board the B train on her way to the Consulate yesterday morning.”

Nilapitan umano ng isang lalaki ang naturang Pinay at saka ito minura. Aniya pa, “An individual on board the train accosted her as soon as she stepped on board by asking her: ‘Where’d you come from? Where’d you come from?’ The individual went on with his race-based tirade by saying: ‘We don’t need you here! We don’t need you here! F**k you! I hope you all die and everybody on this train!’”

Ini-report na rin umano ang insidente sa New York City Police Department at saad pa ni Cato, lubos na nakababahala ang mga ganoong insidente dahil ilang Pinoy na rin umano ang nabiktima ng hate crimes.

Saad pa ni Cato, “We are deeply disturbed by this incident which came a few days after a member of the Filipino Community sustained injuries after he was violently assaulted in a subway platform in New York City. “A few months ago, a kababayan got his face slashed in a hate-crime incident also in the subway.

“The hate incident involving our colleague is the 14th such incident involving a member of the Filipino Community reported to the Consulate so far this year.”

Aniya pa, “We join the Asia-American and Pacific Islander Community in condemning these incidents and in expressing our serious concern for the safety of our kababayan and other Asian-Americans in New York City.”

Nanawagan din si Cato sa mga awtoridad ng New York City na dagdagan ang presensiya ng mga pulis sa mga subway ng nasabing lugar para sa kaligtasan ng publiko.

Saad ni Cato, “We call on authorities of New York City to take additional measures to make our kababayan and other Asian-Americans feel safe when outside their homes by increasing police presence especially in the subways and addressing the mental health concerns that reportedly affect as many as 40 percent of homeless individuals in the city, a number of who have also been involved in recent hate crimes against Asian Americans.”