Envoy: Pinoy riot victims in London can seek damages

British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie said the three Filipinos who have fallen victim to rioters in Britain’s worst violence in years, may seek compensation under the Riot Damages Act. In a statement issued on Friday, Lillie said "any individual, homeowner or business who has suffered damage to their buildings or property as a result of the rioting can seek compensation under the Riot Damages Act." He said the United Kingdom (UK) government "will meet the immediate costs of emergency accommodation for families made homeless by these disturbances." Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the three Filipino victims in the UK included two males and one female, according to a report on GMA News TV’s “Balitanghali" on Thursday. Of the two males, Del Rosario said one had to be hospitalized while the other lost his vehicle to rioters. The Filipina had her shop’s windows broken by rioters, he added. Shock and regret Lillie expressed shock and regret at the injuries and damages to property suffered by three Filipinos in UK during the rioting and looting sparked by the death of a 29-year old civilian who was shot by the police. “We are appalled by the scenes that have unfolded in our communities, and I am especially shocked that innocent Filipino residents have become caught up in it," Lillie said. To monitor the safety of Filipinos in the affected areas, Lillie said the British Embassy in the Philippines is closely coordinating with the Philippine DFA while UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is in touch with the Philippine Embassy in London. "This morning I spoke personally to the DFA to convey our shock at what had happened to the three Filipinos, our sympathy, and the British Government’s concern for them," Lillie said. "I underlined the Prime Minister’s personal concern for the victims of the violence, and said we fully shared the DFA’s hope that the perpetrators of these crimes would be brought to justice. I asked that our concern be conveyed to the President [Benigno Simeon Aquino III]," he added. Rebuilding communities Lillie said the UK government deployed 16,000 police officers to London streets to restore peace and order. Over 1,200 people have been arrested across UK because of the rioting and looting incidents. “We completely condemn the acts of criminality witnessed during the past week. We will do whatever it takes to restore law and order and to rebuild our communities. Our Prime Minister has made it clear that we are leaving no stone unturned to achieve this," Lillie said. He assured the public that "good progress is being made in restoring order to the streets of London and other cities across our country. There are now more police on the streets, more people arrested and more criminals being prosecuted." - VVP, GMA News