Manila: The Bureau of Immigration said Australian nun Patricia Anne Fox has only 30 days to leave the Philippines after it denied her appeal seeking to reverse the deportation order against her.
Dana Krizia Sandoval, Spokesperson of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Sister Patricia now only has 30 days upon receipt of the order before an order mandating her deportation “can be considered final and executory.”
It can be recalled that in late July of this year, the BI affirmed a deportation order it issued against Sister Patricia. However, she was given a virtual stay in her deportation as she filed an appeal with the bureau to reconsider its decision.
Sandoval emphasised that foreign nationals are not allowed to join rallies in the country. “Foreign missionaries in the country must be actually, directly, and exclusively engaged in religious work, and are not allowed to engage in partisan political activities inconsistent with their religious vocation,” she said.
Sandoval rejected Sister Patricia accusations that the BI had “prejudged” the case based on the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte that the nun was an undesirable alien.
For its part, the palace said that immigration was only doing its job with the planned deportation of Sister Patricia.
“If some sectors are concerned about the deportation, they have only to blame Senator Leila de Lima for adopting that policy because she was the one who had issued that order during her term as Justice Secretary,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing on Friday.
A resolution signed last August 23 by the BI Board of Commissioners (BOC) led by Commissioner Jaime Morente said Sister Patricia’s appeal was denied for having “no new matters raised that warrant the modification or reversal of the resolution.”
“A deportation order was issued against Sister Fox for violating the conditions of her visa and for being undesirable. She was authorised to conduct only missionary works but had attended numerous political activities contrary to the limitations of her visa. She was likewise seen as undesirable for joining protests, which she also admitted in her affidavit,” she added.
The bureau stressed that just like in any other countries, foreign nationals must follow Philippine laws or face deportation. “We understand that she has a heart for the people, but her actions must remain within the boundaries set by the laws of the land. It is the responsibility of the BI to ensure that foreign nationals, male or female, young or old, follow Philippine laws, in the same manner that our compatriots abroad follow the laws of the country they are in,” Sandoval stated.
Last August 16, Amnesty International expressed alarm over the deportation of foreigners engaged in missionary work.
“Amnesty International is gravely concerned over the recent crackdown by the Philippine government on the exercise by non-nationals of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” it said.
Aside from Sister Patricia, a number of foreign activists had been deported for their political activities by the immigration department
