DFA chief Manalo shocked, dismayed over Abe shooting

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Friday expressed "shock and dismay" over the reported shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

"I extend my deep sympathy and pray for his early recovery," Manalo said on Twitter.

"It is with great shock and dismay that I learned of the shooting of former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo on 08 July 2022 in Nara," he said.

In a separate tweet, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it is  praying "for the early recovery of PM Abe."

In Malacañang, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the Palace is hoping for the speedy recovery of Abe.

“The Secretary of Foreign Affairs has expressed shock and dismay over this tragedy and we’re praying Mr. Shinzo recovers fully,” Cruz-Angeles told reporters at a media briefing.

Abe has been rushed to hospital after a  possible shooting while delivering a campaign speech in Nara.

The former prime minister, reports said, is in a "state of cardiopulmonary arrest" or sudden loss of heart function and breathing.

The Japanese government confirmed that Abe had been shot but said his condition was "currently unknown."

"Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am in Nara. One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown," chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. —Michaela Del Callar with Sundy Locus/KBK/RSJ, GMA News