I join all peace-loving people of the world in condemning in the strongest possible terms the attack on former President Donald Trump.
The shooting of former President Trump as he was speaking at a rally in Butler Pennsylvania Saturday night is a chilling indictment of our times. It is a wake-up call that no one, not even a former president and leading presidential candidate, is safe even in the most powerful nation on earth.
While assailant Thomas Matthew Crooks has already been neutralized before he could inflict further damage, his death leaves a trove of questions that will preoccupy investigators in the coming days.
The failed assassination comes at a crucial time when the election for the next President at the United States is barely four months away. Speculation that this violent incident has something to do with the upcoming elections is too difficult to resist.
Considering America’s role in world affairs, the outcome of the elections carries far-reaching repercussions for many countries including the Philippines.
It is significant that former President Donald Trump opened a sizeable lead in the presidential race, a cause for concern to those opposed to his announced priorities.
American policies under the Biden administrations towards the Philippines particularly the installation of a missile system in Ilocos Norte have placed the Philippines in considerable danger. In has generated no small amount of fear among Filipinos wary that the country has now become a target if war breaks out anytime.
I join all who wish former President Trump a speedy recovery from wounds and whatever trauma caused by the failed assassination attempt. I sincerely hope that he will rise from this temporary aberration to wrap up his campaign without further incident.
Over and above that, I join all Filipinos in wishing that the results of the coming election will auger well for the Philippines and its citizens.
