12 March 2004 – Reiterating the Philippine government’s outrage over the bombing attacks in Madrid yesterday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert said that Embassy officials in Madrid continue with their efforts to verify if there were any Filipinos injured or killed in the train bombings.  The Secretary added that the Department will do everything to obtain accurate and verified information.

“Ambassador Bernardo has informed me that the Embassy’s consular teams continue to visit hospitals and relief centers and is working closely with Spanish authorities and the Filipino community in search of any Filipinos who might have been hurt or killed.  We continue to pray and hope for the best, but the ferocity of the attack and the fact that there are 20,000 Filipinos in Madrid means that we will not stop until all our Filipinos are accounted for,” the Secretary Albert said. “I understand that they are experiencing difficulty identifying any Filipino victims because the roster of patients being provided  by the hospitals do not indicate the nationalities of the patients.  The fact that some Filipinos have Spanish surnames does not make things any easier for our team. But I would like to reassure our countrymen that if there are any Filipino victims, we will surely find them and give them every assistance necessary.”

The Secretary confirmed reports that the Embassy Consular Teams are assisting a Filipino couple in searching for their 20-year-old son whom they believe to have been onboard one of the trains going to Atocha when the bombs went off.

“The Filipino couple met with our team at the Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid. Our team is assisting the Filipino couple and will do everything possible to try and find their son,” Secretary Albert said.

While at the Hospital 12 de Octubre, the Philippine Consular Team chanced upon Queen Sofia of Spain, who was accompanied by her son Prince Felipe and his fiancée, Ms. Letizia Ortiz, who was then visiting the victims confined in the hospital.  Queen Sofia approached our Consular team and the Filipino couple and personally gave them her words of consolation and encouragement. The Consular team conveyed to the Queen condolences on behalf of the President and the Filipino people, to which the Queen replied: “Your President is a good friend of mine.”

“We would like to reiterate our strong condemnation of this act and again offer our most profound sympathies to Spain and her people,” Secretary Albert stated. She added that the Department’s Action Center is open on a 24-hour basis for any queries from those who may have relatives and friends in Madrid.  The Action Center’s number is 834-3333. END.