PH Expresses Solidarity, Sympathy with Australia after 19 Injured by Vehicle that Plows into Crowd in Melbourne

21 December 2017 — The Philippines today expressed its sympathy and solidarity with Australia after at least 19 persons were injured, several of them critically, when a vehicle drove through a crowd of pedestrians in downtown Melbourne.

At the same time, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it is monitoring the incident and checking whether there were Filipinos among the injured.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Australian Government and the Australian people as they deal with this unfortunate incident,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement. 

Secretary Cayetano, at the same time, expressed hopes for the immediate recovery of those injured in the incident.

Initial reports from the Philippine Embassy in Canberra said a white sports utility vehicle plowed into pedestrians outside a busy train station in downtown Melbourne at around 5 pm local time.

The Embassy said at least 19 people were injured in the incident, which police said was done deliberately by a man with a history of mental health issues and illegal drug use. The suspect is under police custody.

The Embassy said Honorary Consul Felix Pintado is in touch with authorities in Melbourne to check if any of the approximately 80,000 Filipinos there were among the casualties. There are around 210,760 Filipinos in all of Australia.

Secretary Cayetano, at the same time, advised Filipinos in Australia and other parts of the world to be more vigilant in the wake of violent incidents that have left many civilians dead and injured worldwide.

“We would want our kababayans wherever they may be all around the world to exercise a higher degree of caution because violent incidents and accidents can happen anytime, anywhere,” Secretary Cayetano said.

“It is better to be always prepared for any eventuality,” the Secretary said as he again encouraged Filipinos traveling out of the country to make sure they have the contact details of Philippine embassies and consulates abroad. END