No Pinoy hurt in knife attack inside Tokyo train

MANILA – No Filipino was among the casualties in the knife attack on a train in Japan on Sunday night, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo said on Monday.

“Sa kabutihang palad po, wala namang naulat na Pilipino na na-injure (Fortunately, no Filipino was reported injured because of the attack),” Robespierre Bolivar, the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, said in a radio interview.

Reports said at least 17 persons were injured in the attack by a man dressed in a Batman’s Joker costume at the Keio Line train in Tokyo, as people are gearing up for Halloween gatherings in the Japanese capital.

Police arrested the suspect, a 24-year-old man who identified himself as Kyota Hattori, who also started a fire inside the train.

Bolivar noted that the attack is still a developing story where authorities are checking the mental health condition of the suspect who purportedly said he “wanted to kill people and be given the death penalty”.

About 283,000 Filipinos are living in Japan while more than 34,000 are residing in its capital city, Tokyo.

“Meron po kaming assistance for Filipino nationals, hotline po, pwede po sila magbigay ng tips kung may mabalitaan sila na apektado (We have a hotline providing assistance for Filipino nationals, they can tip to us any reports about any Filipino affected), Bolivar said.

He added the Filipino community in Japan also has connections with the local police and with the metropolitan government and provides immediate information if there are any Filipinos affected by any natural disaster or untoward incident.