Pinoy 'Miss Saigon' alumnus gets mugged in New York, suspect makes anti-Asian remark

A Filipino theater actor based in New York got mugged last week, with the unidentified suspect making an anti-Asian remark.

Miguel Braganza, an alumnus of "Miss Saigon", was on his way to his apartment on August 7 when a robber assaulted him and hit him on the head with a gun.

The incident occurred at around 1 a.m., according to a Facebook post of the Philippine Consulate General in New York.

"When I stepped out sa Uber, visiting my friends, bigla na lang a guy jumped on me and pushed me sa side ng car," Braganza said in an interview with GMA News stringer Dave Llavanes Jr. on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday.

(When I stepped out from the Uber car, visiting my friends, suddenly a guy jumped on me and pushed me to the side of the car.)

"And then he tried to actually get my bag. 'Yung ano talaga niya (his goal) is to get my bag. It was a very dark area," he added.

"And then he pushed me to the ground. He was very frustrated then he said 'You f*cking Asian.' And then he hit me with a gun on my head," Braganza said.

Miguel Braganza, Pinoy na umano'y nabiktima ng hate crime sa New York: When I stepped out on my Uber, this guy jumped on me with a gun and pushed me sa side ng car and he is trying to get my bag. pic.twitter.com/IzUnFGrrZi

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 14, 2021

He was brought to the hospital as he lost a lot of blood, but was in stable condition, the Philippine Consulate said then.

Braganza said he was released from the hospital after no major injuries were found. 

However, he suffered from trauma.

"It's the trauma, and a bit of depression. A doctor friend said it's natural so I'm fighting it," he added.

To date however, Braganza has yet to get an update from the New York Police Department (NYPD) regarding the case.

"Medyo nasaktan ako dahil hanggang ngayon —the police were there that night — but up to now they haven't contacted me whatever happened, kung nahuli ang tao," he said.

(I'm a bit hurt because up to now, the police were there that night but up to now they haven't contacted me whatever happened, if they caught the suspect.)

Braganza said he will go to the police station the next day to inquire about developments.

The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.

It said the incident was an attempted robbery. However, based on the account of Braganza, it can be considered a hate crime.

GMA News has contacted NYPD for comment. 

The Philippine Consulate, meanwhile, reminded Filipinos in New York "to always be vigilant, when outside their residences especially during the evenings, in view of the rising criminality and violence in the city."

Originally from the Philippines, Braganza is a Walter Terry scholar in the dance performance and choreography program at Harvard University in the ‘80s, and assistant to Tony Award-winning director John Dexter in the original Broadway production of “M. Butterfly” from 1988-1990.

He joined the cast of the US and international productions of Cameron Mackintosh’s megamusical “Miss Saigon” for 14 years. —KG, GMA News