BRITAIN’S Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie said on Wednesday that no Filipino was injured in the recent disturbances in London and other parts of the United Kingdom.
More than 500 people were arrested with 70 of them charged in the weeklong riots sparked by the death of a 29-year-old civilian who was shot by the police.
Figures from the British Embassy in Manila showed that there are around 250,000 Filipinos in the UK, mostly working as nurses and caregivers.
“There have been no reports that any Filipino has been involved or injured in the incident. The UK police are doing their best to ensure the safety of all the communities there,” said Lillie.
At the same time, the Philippine Embassy in London advised Filipinos living in Central London and the UK “to be vigilant and to exercise caution in light of the riots that occurred around London and in other UK cities over the past days.”
Philippine Charge d’Affaires to the United Kingdom Reynaldo Catapang also called on the Filipino community to contact the local police and the embassy regarding any untoward incident.
“The embassy urges all Filipinos to stay away from high street areas, to avoid large gatherings and to avoid joining or going to places of riots or get involved in any public disturbance,” Catapang said in a statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.
Lillie said policemen continue to take statements from witnesses and examine closed circuit television footage to make further arrests.
“Extra courts and a virtual courts have been activated in London to get these cases dealt with straight away.”
“The disturbances in London and other parts of the country are totally unacceptable. The Prime Minister has condemned the scenes of criminality and has vowed to do everything necessary to restore order to Britain’s streets and to make them safe for the law abiding citizens.”
Lillie said transportation in London is running well in service of the communities there, “including the many Filipinos who live and work in our country.”
