Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 1) — Senator and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao took to social media to challenge hate crime suspects amid waves of reported anti-Asian violence in the United States.
Pacquiao joined the voices of other celebrities and personalities in condemning Asian-American attacks.
“Tigilan nyo ang pag-atake sa mga Pilipino na walang laban. Ako labanan mo, duwag!” the Filipino boxing icon said in his Facebook post.
[Translation: Stop attacking Filipinos who can’t defend themselves. Fight me instead, you coward!]
Pacquiao is the only eight-division world champion and oldest welterweight champion in boxing history. He holds a record of 62 wins, seven losses, and two draws in a career that spans over two decades.
The recent hate-crime attack involved a 65-year-old Filipino-American woman. The assault was captured on video and showed a woman being punched and kicked repeatedly in midtown Manhattan by an attacker while allegedly uttering anti-Asian statements against her.
The Philippine Embassy in Washington late in February urged Filipinos residing in the US to use extreme caution amid the rising number of attacks against Asians.
