Lapu Lapu Day attack victims and their families want to know how event organizers spend fundraising money

A group of victims are asking questions about how the millions of dollars in donations after the Lapu Lapu tragedy were spent.

Vanessa Hill and Blaine Redlac are bonded by tragedy. Redlac’s wife Jendhel Sico died when a driver plowed through the crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver on April 26, 2025, and Hill’s longtime partner AJ Sico suffered a traumatic brain injury.

“He has a lot of ongoing care. AJ is recovering, he is making miraculous recoveries. He is trying to work towards being able to stand independently,” said Hill. “He needs therapy for that.”

“We have someone who has been severely injured, and I want to advocate for him and other people who haven’t been speaking up who may be struggling with medical coverage or support,” said Redlac, who was also injured by the speeding vehicle.

The pair spoke to media Friday, demanding answers from Lapu Lapu Day festival organizer Filipino BC about how the group spent the $340,000 the United Way says it distributed to Filipino BC from the Kapwa Strong fund.

Hill says United Way provided about $40,000 for family to stay near the hospital while AJ Sico was in the ICU for about two months.

Redlac said he received $3,500 from United Way and a couple hundred dollars’ worth of gift cards from Filipino BC, “and that’s all.”

They want to know where the rest of the money went.

“If you’ve donated money, I would seriously ask where your money has gone. I think you have the right to ask that,” said Redlac.

“The people that donated across the country, across Canada, were so extremely generous, and they deserve to know where their funding went, because they thought it was going to go to victims and victims’ families,” said Hill.

The victims and their families have the support of Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mabel Elmore.

“The premier has said, and also the attorney general agrees, and it’s my sentiment that families have questions. They deserve answers,” Elmore said.

She was hoping to deliver a letter and help facilitate a conversation between victims’ families and Filipino BC on Friday.

The group spoke at 475 West Georgia St. Friday, which was the most recent address available for Filipino BC.

“It looks like they’ve moved, so we will try and locate them,” Elmore said.

In an email, Filipino BC confirmed it no longer occupies an office in that building, and it’s open to reading correspondence from the victims’ families and will respond once it’s been received.

“Filipino BC is not the only ones responsible for how the funding was distributed. However, they did receive the largest chunk of the money, and it was their organization that put on the Lapu Lapu festival. So unfortunately for them, they have the most accountability in this terrible, terrible accident that we are all continuing to experience,” said Hill.

She and Redlac are also calling on the organization to cancel its Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness on April 19.

“It’s just odd that they’re going forward with this festival, even though the majority of the community who is hurting, including politicians, we’re saying no, like, please don’t,” said Redlac.

For injured Lapu Lapu Festival survivors like AJ Sico, recovery has just begun.

“Doctors pretty much thought he was he was going to be a vegetable. They didn’t think he was going to even progress to the level that he has at this point. He is able to say some words. He loves to sing,” said Hill.

AJ’s family is pursuing specialized medical treatment in the U.S. But 11 months after the attack, financially, they are on their own.