Camp of Sister Patricia Fox to contest Immigration order

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Sister Patricia Fox would question the move of the Bureau of Immigration to forfeit the missionary visa of the Australian nun and order her to leave the country.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente on Wednesday said Fox lost the privilege of holding a missionary visa after she allegedly engaged in partisan political activities. Her alien certificate of registration is also deactivated.

Fox’s legal counsel, Jobert Pahilga, said that they would first file a motion for reconsideration before the Immigration to contest the order.

“We will move for the reconsideration of the order of the BI and we will ask the BI to conduct a full-blown trial and hearing on the case of Sister Pat,” Pahilga said in an interview on ANC’s “Headstart.”

But should the Immigration deny their motion, they would take the case to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, if needed.

“We can go to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court to question because there is grave abuse of discretion apparently on the Bureau of Immigration because they did not follow their earlier order giving Sister Fox 10 days to file the counter affidavit,” Pahilga said.

He noted that the order came as a “surprise” because they just received the supplemental report of the BI’s Intelligence Division yesterday and were given 10 days to file the counter affidavit to answer the complaint against the lay missionary.

“Sister Pat has the right, even if she is alien, has the right to due process of law, has right to be heard, has right to confront witnesses of the BI and has the right to hearing before the commissioners,” Pahilga stressed.

Fox is ordered to leave the Philippines within 30 days from the receipt of the order. The camp of the nun has not yet received the order.

The Immigration, however, said that Fox’s deportation case is still pending before its special prosecutor as she has yet to file her counter-affidavit.

"It is only after the parties have been heard, will the case be submitted to the Board of Commissioners for their deliberation on whether or not she will be deported and barred from entering the country in the future," Immigration spokesperson Antonette Bucasas-Mangrobang said in a statement.

The 71-year-old nun and advocate of land reform and peasant rights was detained at the Immigration office last April 16 after allegations of violating a local order barring foreign participation in political assemblies. She was released on April 17.

Fox's missionary visa is due to expire on September 5 this year.        

READ: CHR: Detention of Australian nun may discourage humanitarian work