LOCAL legislators in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, have filed a resolution strongly condemning the gruesome attack on a Filipino community in Vancouver, Canada, that claimed the lives of at least 11 individuals celebrating Lapulapu Day on Sunday, April 27, 2025.
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In a resolution jointly sponsored by Committee on Foreign Relations head Councilor Efren Herrera and Councilor Joseph Pangatungan, chair of the Committee on Tourism, the legislators called on the Canadian authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrator to justice.
They also urged the Canadian government to come up with measures to prevent and ensure the safety and protection of the Filipinos and other immigrants living in Canada.
The tragic incident occurred just as the Filipino community in Vancouver marked the 504th anniversary of the historic Battle of Mactan with a street festival.
Reports said the assailant, identified as Kai-Ji Adam Lo, rammed his sports utility vehicle (SUV) into a crowd of revelers along East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street in south Vancouver, killing at least 11 and wounding several others.
The victims’ ages ranged from five to 60 years old were killed along East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street in south Vancouver, where what was meant to be a joyful festival turned into a scene of horror.
Lapulapu Day, celebrated annually on April 27, honors the heroism of Lapulapu, the Mactan chieftain who led inhabitants of the island in defeating Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
The resolution also acknowledges the vital contributions of Filipino workers to Canada’s social and economic fabric and conveys Lapu-Lapu City’s solidarity with Vancouver’s grieving Filipino community.
Meanwhile, during her second visit to Cebu, United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson extended her heartfelt condolences to those affected by the tragedy.
“I know so many Filipino family connections to North America, both the United States and Canada, and our heart goes out to those who are affected. It’s a terrible tragedy and we want to first extend again my personal condolences and those of all of us here at the U.S Embassy for what had occurred,” said Carlson.
A copy of the resolution will be provided to Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Gina Kamora Lim, for her review.
The Lapu-Lapu City Council will be on recess beginning April 29, with the proposed resolution set to be discussed and voted upon during its next regular session on May 21. (DPC)