Pacquiao to suspects in attacks against Asians in US: Fight me instead

Boxing champ turned politician Senator Manny Pacquiao has a message to those involved in the recent attacks against Asians in the United States: "Fight me instead."

Pacquiao on Thursday tweeted four photos with the message: "Stop attacking Asians who can't defend themselves. Fight me instead."

The message was written in English as well as in three Asian languages: Filipino, Chinese, and Korean.

"We have one color in our Blood! Stop discriminating. LOVE AND PEACE TO EVERYONE!! #StopAsianHate," Pacquiao also said in his tweet.

Pacquiao issued the message following the shootings in three different spas in Georgia, United States, where eight people, six of whom were Asian women, were killed.

This was followed by the attack against a 65-year-old Filipina near Times Square in Manhattan, New York City.

The Filipina, identified as Vilma Kari by police, was walking down a street when a man suddenly kicked her in the stomach, according to a report of The New York Times.

When the victim fell on the ground, the attacker kicked her in the head three times as she tried to get up.

The New York Police Department on Tuesday said the suspect in the attack against Kari has already been arrested and charged. He was identified in various reports as Brandon Elliot. 

The recent spike of attacks against Asians in the United States gave rise to the #StopAsianHate, supported by Filipino-American celebrities Darren Criss and Shay Mitchell, among others.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, meanwhile, said his office is doing its best to address the problem.

“We will continue to do what we can and informing the authorities here in Washington D.C. especially paying attention to the kind of hate crimes that are being committed," he said.

"We’re going to have a meeting with the White House and we have all collectively agreed that we are going to enforce,” he added. —KBK, GMA News