MANILA, Philippines — The disagreement over the basis of the detention of an Australian nun early this week continues on Friday after presidential spokesman Harry Roque presented photos showing that she recently spoke at a rally in a southern Philippine city.
Patricia Fox, a 71-year-old Australian nun and advocate of land reform and peasant rights, was detained at the office of the Bureau of Immigration from Monday to Tuesday early this week over allegations that she violated a local order barring foreign participation in political assemblies.
The Palace initially said that the detention might have been a mistake and apologies were in order.
Roque presented a photo taken on April 9 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, President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown where he served as mayor for more than two decades.
“I heard the CBCP say that Sister Fox, although she attends rallies, has never spoken in rallies. Well I now have a picture and this is taken April 9 in a rally organized by KMU and Gabriela party list in front of Coca-Cola Davao City Distribution Center at Ulas, Davao City. There you have it,” Roque said in a media briefing in the presidential palace.
Philstar.com could not independently verify the date and authenticity of the photo shown by Roque nor the statement attributed to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
Duterte’s spokesman said that the photo was taken by the government and was released to dispute the statement by the country’s group of bishops.
He added that the Australian might not have been completely forthright with the bishops regarding her activities in the Philippines.
He said that this was not the first time that Fox was taken into custody for political activities in the country, citing an incident in 2013 in which she was detained for speaking at a rally in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac north of Manila.
Roque also shrugged off the reported plan of the Commission on Human Rights to investigate if the Catholic nun’s rights were violated in her detention.
Duterte said this week that he was the one who ordered the investigation of Fox supposedly for her disorderly conduct in the country.
He said that he could take criticisms for as long as these came from his countrymen.
However, Duterte has often bristled at his critics and taken their critique of his government’s policies and actions personally.
One of his most strident critics, Sen. Leila De Lima, is currently detained at the police headquarters supposedly for her involvement in the trade of illegal drugs in the national penitentiary.
Fox’s detention came just after a European socialist was deported and prevented from attending a congress organized by Akbayan in Cebu.
In detaining Fox and deporting Giacomo Filibeck, government authorities cited a seldom-enforced Immigration order barring foreigners from participating in partisan assemblies or activities.
Just in February, several officials of the Communist Party of China partied with the ruling PDP-Laban and event gave a briefing on the life and thoughts of Xi Jinping, the Chinese president.