Pinoys abroad told to be vigilant after NY attack
THE Foreign Affairs department on Tuesday called on Filipinos abroad to exercise a higher level of vigilance in the wake of the attempted terror attack in the United States.
The Philippine Consulate General in New York said the incident involved the premature detonation of a pipe bomb carried by a lone attacker in an underground passage in the terminal, the main transport hub for buses going in and out of New York.
Consul General Maria Teresa Dizon de Vega said the consulate immediately issued an advisory requesting members of the 56,100-strong Filipino community to avoid the area and to observe usual precautions while the investigation was ongoing.
No Filipino was hurt in the incident that happened in the terminal commonly used by Filipinos from New Jersey and nearby areas to take their connecting subway rides to
“We encourage our kababayan (compatriots) abroad to heighten their vigilance,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.
The DFA also advised Filipinos traveling abroad for work, business or pleasure to make sure they have the contact details of Philippine embassies and consulates in the countries they go to.
The latest attack in New York came - sons were killed and 11 others injured in Manhattan after they were ran over by a truck driven by a lone follower of the Islamic State.
A 27-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh detonated a homemade pipe bomb strapped to his body in a crowded New York subway pas- sage during the morning rush hour Monday, injuring three people and putting the city on edge.
Akayed Ullah told police investigators he wanted to avenge US air strikes on the Islamic State group and was also inspired by Christmas terror plots in Europe, and chose the location for his attack by the Christmas posters on the subway walls, US media reported.
His bomb failed to detonate properly, leaving him the only one seriously injured in the incident.
President Donald Trump seized upon the attack to call for tougher US immigration rules, saying the current “lax” policy “allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country.”
“Today’s attempted mass murder attack in New York City -- the second terror attack in New York in the last two months -- once again highlights the urgent need for Congress to enact legislative reforms to protect the American people,” Trump said in a statement.