The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) condemns the horrific senseless act of violence on 26 April 2025 that marred the Lapu-Lapu Festival in Vancouver, Canada, where a driver deliberately rammed his vehicle into a joyful crowd, killing at least eleven innocent individuals and injuring more than 20 others. The suspect, a 30-year-old male, is now in police custody.
“There are no words to fully express our grief, outrage, and condolences. Our hearts bleed for our kababayans—the families who lost their loved ones in this heinous attack which has no place in this world. This is a brutal assault not only against the Filipino community but against the very values of inclusivity, diversity, and humanity itself. We urgently call upon our Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver to immediately and actively coordinate with Canadian authorities to extend all necessary assistance to the victims their families as well as to ensure the speedy competent investigation, prosecution, and conviction of the perpetrator with particular focus on uncovering his full motive and whether it was influenced by elements of hate or racism directed against Filipino,” stated TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza (TUCP Party-list).
The country’s largest labor center TUCP calls on the Filipino community in Vancouver and across Canada to remain united and resilient in the face of this tragedy.
“Hold each other close. Draw strength from our bayanihan spirit. Let us honor the memory of those we lost and the suffering of those injured by standing stronger together as we grieve and heal. Let us never allow hate and fear to extinguish the warmth, solidarity, and pride of our Filipino community. Whether this atrocity was driven by personal derangement or racial hatred, we must confront it as one community and as one people towards pursuing justice and ensuring that such violence never happens again,” underscored Mendoza.
