MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver, Canada warned the public on fundraising campaigns allegedly for the victims of the Lapu-Lapu Day attack.
At least 11 people were killed and several others injured when a driver, with alleged mental health problems, plowed into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party near 41st Avenue and Fraser Street on Saturday evening.
The consulate on Sunday (Monday in Manila) said that “certain individuals have set up GoFundMe pages claiming to raise funds to support the victims of the Lapu-Lapu Day incident.”
They used a “screencap of the Consulate’s official message as a backdrop as part of its material on the said fundraising page.”
“The public is advised that the Philippine Consulate General has not created any fundraising efforts nor has sanctioned any entities to raise funds on behalf of the victims of the Lapu Lapu Day incident,” the consulate said.
“The public is also advised to exercise vigilance and prudence to avoid being victimized by unscrupulous and malicious actors attempting to exploit this tragedy that has befallen the Filipino Community in British Columbia,” it added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it would cooperate with Canadian authorities to ensure that adequate support would be provided to the Filipino community affected by the “horrific incident” at a Filipino festival in Vancouver.
The DFA, in a statement, expressed its deepest condolences to the victims and families “involved in the horrific incident at the Lapu-lapu Day Block Party in Vancouver, BC, Canada.”
The DFA and the consulate “stand ready to extend the appropriate assistance to the bereaved families.”
“As we mourn the tragic turn of events, we remember the one million strong Filipino community in Canada and pray for their continued strength and resilience,” the DFA said.
Senate President Francis Escudero said the “perpetrator and possible accomplices should be brought to justice and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
“I trust that the Canadian law enforcement agencies will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is served,” Escudero said in a statement.
He urged the consulate and other Philippine Embassy officials in Ottawa to ensure that the affected Filipino families were taken care of and steps were “undertaken to prevent this from happening again in the future.”