THE Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it has not received any information about Filipino fatalities in a fireworks explosion during a New Year’s celebration in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu also did not report to the DFA main office of any Filipino fatality in the incident.
Local authorities said three died in the incident while 20 others were injured, including children.
“Perhaps they were of Filipino ethnicity. But they were most probably not Filipino citizens but US citizens, based on what our consulate in Honolulu reports,” De Vega said.
A report on GMA7 Integrated News said two Filipino sisters are among the three fatalities in the incident. The report quoted Rylan Benigno who said his aunt Carmelita Turalva Benigno and her sister Nelly Turalva Ibarra were among the dead.
De Vega said the consulate said their names do not appear in the passport and dual citizenship database.
“The Post has not received any consular notification on Filipinos who died on the explosion and the Filipino community has not requested assistance,” he said.
However, De Vega said the consulate is still gathering additional information and coordinating with Hawaiian authorities.
The Consulate earlier said it is coordinating with the Honolulu Police Department “to determine if any Filipino nationals have been affected in the incident.”
“The Honolulu Police Department informed the Consulate that, since the case is still under investigation, information cannot be disclosed on the identities of the victims,” it also said.
