MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) extended its “deepest condolences” to the victims and families involved in a Filipino festival in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada, on Sunday.
In a statement, the DFA said that it is ready to extend assistance to the affected families and to cooperate with Canadian authorities regarding the incident.
“The Department and the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver stand ready to extend the appropriate assistance to the bereaved families and will cooperate with Canadian authorities to ensure that adequate support will be provided to our Filipino community,” the DFA said.
“As we mourn the tragic turn of events, we remember the one million strong Filipino community in Canada and pray for their continued strength and resilience,” the DFA added.
In a report from Reuters, Vancouver police confirmed that at least nine people were killed when a man drove through a crowd at a Filipino community festival on Saturday evening, called as the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, celebrating a Philippine national hero.
Police said they had arrested a 30-year-old Vancouver man, who was "known" to them, at the scene of the incident on Saturday evening. "At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism," Vancouver police said in an X post.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. also expressed sadness upon hearing about the incident, and assured the Filipino community in Canada of a thorough investigation.
“I am completely shattered to hear about the terrible incident during a Lapu Lapu Day Block Party in Vancouver, BC, Canada,” Marcos said in a statement.
“On behalf of the Philippine Government and the Filipino people, Liza and I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the strong and thriving Filipino community in Canada,” Marcos added.
“The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver is working with Canadian authorities to ensure that the incident will be thoroughly investigated, and that the victims and their families are supported and consoled,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that more than 20 people were injured in what police described as a car ramming attack and that an investigation had begun into how and why the attack took place, Reuters reported.
Carney expressed his condolences to the Filipino community in Canada, as he talked to reporters Sunday morning.
According to reports, Carney’s campaign movements were delayed that morning after the tragedy, but that he would resume campaigning on Sunday.
Canada is set to undergo its federal election on Monday.
King Charles, Canada's head of state, also extended a message of sympathy for the victims and their families involved in the incident.
"Both my wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the dreadful attack and utterly tragic loss of life in Vancouver, which took place as the Filipino community came together to mark the celebration of one of their most special festivals,” King Charles said in a statement.
(With reports from Reuters: Harshita Meenaktshi, Devika Nair in Bengaluru and Chris Helgren in Vancouver, Promit Mukherjee in Hamilton; Additional reporting by Karen Lema in Manila; Editing by Kim Coghill, Alex Richardson, Ros Russell and Mark Porter)
