No vandalism in RP Consulate NY

By Alex P. Vidal

“Looting has an immense impact on our ability to understand our global cultural heritage; once these objects are gone, so too is our chance of piecing together humanity’s shared story.”—Sarah Parcak

The Philippine Consulate General in New York (PCGNY) will finally reopen on June 12, 2020 during the 122^nd Philippine Independence Day, but with limited consular services.

For the first two weeks from date of reopening, PCGNY’s operating hours will be from 10 o’clock in the morning until three o’clock in the afternoon every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only, until further notice, said PCGNY’s Advisory 21 released on June 8, 2020.

“Our kababayans are required to book an appointment through its online appointment system vis PCGNY’s website: http://www.newyorkpcg.org/our-services/online-appointment-system,” the advisory further announced.

“To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard the health and well-being of Kababayans and all concerned, walk-ins will no longer be allowed and only urgent cases will be accommodated.”

 

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Contrary to the claims of a videographer who uploaded a video in the Internet several days after the June 1 riot that resulted in the looting of several stores selling pricey items in the Lower Manhattan, the Philippine Consulate General in New York on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was never vandalized.

Immediately after the looting and destruction that victimized mostly prominent stores in Soho, authorities boarded up all the luxury establishments on Fifth Avenue, considered as one of the most expensive and popular shopping districts in the United States.

The videographer yelled in his video that looters have emptied almost all the stores on the Fifth Avenue “and this is the story the mainstream media did not report.”

He thought the wooden boards that authorities used to cover the glasses of major establishments were placed there to hide the destruction.

He was wrong and he was pathetic to blame the mainstream media supposedly for “hiding the truth.”

 

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Hundreds of people stole from luxury stores–including Chanel and Dior –for hours night before June 1 going into the early hours of Monday morning. The looters were seen piling shoplifted merchandise into vehicles while others rode off with the merchandise in black garbage bags balanced on CitiBikes.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) avoided scrimmages with thieves and instead focused on clearing the streets, which saw thousands of demonstrators throughout the weekend.

Video posted on social media showed some protesters arguing with people breaking windows, urging them to stop, but instances of vandalism and smash-and-grab thefts mounted as the night deepened.

“We worked hard to build up the business, and within a second, someone does this,” said the owner of a ransacked Manhattan smoke shop, who identified himself only by the name Harri. “Really bad.”

The NYPD confirmed that police made at least 700 arrests through the night, but said they were still tallying the final number.

Many of the vandalized stores were already closed due to the pandemic, and now many, especially the mom-and-pop shops that were hit, may never reopen again, pointed out the CBS New York.

 

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)