THE Bureau of Immigration on Wednesday ordered an elderly Australian Catholic nun who angered President Rodrigo Duterte to leave the Philippines in 30 days, accusing her of engaging in illegal political activities outside of her missionary work.
Sister Patricia Fox, 71, who was briefly detained last week, will be the second foreigner who has spoken out recently against Duterte’s policies to be expelled, as the government hits back at critics of his human rights record.
The immigration bureau said it had cancelled the visa of Fox, who relocated to the Philippines in 1990 as a member of the missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sion.
“We direct Fox to leave the Philippines within 30 days from receipt of this order,” it said in a statement, adding that the nun had “engaged in activities that are not allowed under the terms and conditions of her visa.”
Fox said in a statement Wednesday she helped to train Filipino farmers and tribesmen in organic farming to improve their incomes, as well as “to advocate with them for their rights to land, livelihood, peace, justice and security.”
“It seems this is what has brought me into conflict with the Philippine government,” she added. “I am still hoping for a chance to explain how I see my mission as a religious sister and maybe the decision can be reconsidered.”
‘You insult me’
Her lawyer Jobert Pahilga said the order violated the nun’s right to due process, and she would appeal to have the immigration service ruling rescinded.
The immigration bureau held the nun overnight last week but released her without charges.
Following her detention, Fox said she had recently joined a fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human rights abuses against farmers by soldiers fighting communist rebels.
Hours after her release, Duterte announced he had personally ordered her arrest as a warning to foreigners to stop criticizing his government.
“I ordered her to be investigated... for disorderly conduct,” Duterte said in a speech last week.
“You insult me under the cloak of being a Catholic priest, and you are a foreigner! Who are you? It is a violation of sovereignty,” Duterte said, apparently referring to Fox.
Duterte has previously launched verbal attacks against critics of his government’s narcotics crackdown, which has killed thousands of alleged dealers and users.
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, launched a preliminary investigation in February into allegations of extrajudicial killings.
This prompted Duterte to withdraw from the ICC and threaten to arrest the chief prosecutor if she travels to the Philippines.
Earlier this month, Manila also deported Italian Giacomo Filibeck, deputy secretary general of the Party of European Socialists, who had previously condemned “extra-judicial killings” in Duterte’s anti-drug war.
‘Right move’
Malacañang on Wednesday defended the move of the Bureau of Immigration, insisting that Fox violated the terms of her missionary visa.
“That’s the right move,” Roque told The Manila Times.
“We stand by the Bureau of Immigration’s order to forfeit Sister Patricia Fox‘s privilege of holding a missionary visa and to leave the Philippines,” Roque said in a statement.
Quoting the bureau, Roque clarified that the order was “a visa forfeiture order [and] not a decision on the deportation case.”
A deportation case against Fox is still pending, he said, since the nun had yet to submit her counter-affidavit on the bureau’s move to cancel her missionary visa.
Roque, citing the bureau’s statement, further clarified that Fox could still apply for a tourist visa.
In a television interview, Roque also insisted that the bureau observed due process before issuing its order against Fox.
The Palace initially said that Fox’s detention last week could have been a mistake and apologies were in order.
But Roque presented a photo taken on April 9 of Fox speaking at a rally organized by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (May 1 Movement) and Gabriela party-list in front of the local Coca-Cola factory in Davao City.
He said the photo was released to dispute the statement of Catholic bishops condemning Fox’s arrest.
Lawmakers weigh in
Opposition lawmakers on Wednesday criticized the government’s move, saying it would promote a climate of impunity.
Senators Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th and Risa Hontiveros said the decision of the Bureau of Immigration clearly showed the government’s effort to harass those who choose to fight for what is right.
“Harassing human rights advocates and faith-based organizations and individuals may succeed in the short run but it will eventually fail,” said Pangilinan, who is the president of the Liberal Party (LP).
Aquino, a member of the LP, said the administration had ignored the efforts of Fox in helping poor Filipinos for years.
He said he would file a Senate resolution calling for an investigation into possible abuses in the deportation of foreign nationals.
Hontiveros called on the immigration bureau to review and overturn its decision to forfeit the missionary visa of Fox.
Party-list representatives Ariel Casilao of Anakpawis and Tomasito Villarin of Akbayan also condemned the order.
“Sister Fox’s deportation threat is a clear case of the Duterte government’s crackdown not only on dissent and critics but also against advocates who campaign for the welfare of poor Filipinos. It is a threat against foreign citizens supporting legitimate campaigns of Filipino poor sectors, especially farmers and indigenous peoples,” Casilao said in a statement.
Villarin said “It (revocation of her visa) is a low blow, a highly condemnable move by Bureau of Immigration, sanctioned by Malacañang. It sends a chilling effect even to those doing charity and humanitarian work with the poor,” Villarin told The Manila Times.
The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, a national organization of women and men religious, priests and lay, vouched for Fox’s missionary work.
“This decision is hasty, baseless and unjust. As a rural missionary, she is merely extending her solidarity with the Filipino rural poor and fulfilling servant leadership through collective witnessing and prophetic action,” Sister Elen Belardo, the group’s national coordinator, said in a separate statement.
Visa violation
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel 3rd sided with the immigration bureau.
“Immigration has the power to arrest, detain and deport foreigners who violate domestic laws,” Pimentel said during the Kapihan sa Maynila forum at Cafe Adriatico on Wednesday.
“The general rule is, if you are a foreigner, do not interfere in the domestic politics of the country that you are in,” he said.
“So, including Filipinos who are abroad, let’s not join protests overseas…I’m sure there are laws prohibiting it,” Pimentel added.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said people should understand the facts surrounding the issue involving the Australian missionary before condemning the actions of the administration.
Lacson pointed out that the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, under the equal protection clause, does not distinguish between foreigners and citizens of the Philippines, but pointed to jurisprudence that allows the immigration bureau to impose limitations on activities of foreigners considered inimical to the interest of the state.
Senators Francis Escudero and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito maintained that it was the prerogative of the government to impose rules as to who may be allowed to stay in the country, although they did not say if such power should be exercised against Fox.
AFP WITH CATHERINE S. VALENTE, JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA, LLANESCA T. PANTI AND MARY GLEEFER JALEA