‘Fight me’ Manny calls out to anti-Asian racists

Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is calling out to anti-Asian racists in the United States to fight him and not the weak or elderly “who can’t defend themselves”.

The boxer turned politician took his challenge on social media where anti-Asian violence is on the rise, the latest being an attack on a 65-year-old Filipino-American woman, Vilma Kari, in New York, according to the Inquirer.net.

“Fight me instead, you cowards! We have one colour in our Blood! Stop discriminating,” he posted on social media, where he urged for an end to such violent attacks.

New York City Police Department (NYPD) has arrested a convicted murderer, identified as Brandon Elliott, 38, after the assault on Monday was captured on a video that went viral on social media.

The footage showed that she was repeatedly kicked in the head.

Elliot faces several assault and hate-crime charges, police said.

The NYPD said its Hate Crimes Force had been looking for the assailant since Monday.

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez said Washington has been taking “stringent steps” to curb anti-Asian violence there in response to frequent reports of such incidents.

Among the steps are setting up “special hotlines” and the deployment of more law enforcers in public vehicles and in areas where a large number of Asian Americans work and reside, he said.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also blasted “racists in America” and referred to them as “demons”.

Senator Risa Hontiveros condemned the rising hate crimes aimed at Asian-Americans.

“My heart goes out to Asian [Americans], especially Fil-Ams, who experience this horrific level of cruelty,” she said in a tweet on Wednesday.