Despite visa cancellation, Sister Patricia Fox vows to continue helping marginalized
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:24) — Even an impending deportation would not stop 71-year-old Australian nun Patricia Fox from doing what she loves the most—fighting for the rights of the poor and marginalized.
“I will continue my missionary work wherever I am as it is who I am,” Fox, an advocate of land reform and peasant rights, told Philstar.com in a text message.
Fox, mother superior of the Our Lady of Sion congregation in the Philippines, has been working in the Philippines for 27 years, dedicating her life to help the members of oppressed sectors.
“Hopefully the issues here of the indigenous peoples’ right to ancestral lands, farmers’ right to the land they till, urban poor’s right to decent housing and the workers’ right to a just wage and security of tenure will continue to be central to the mission of the Church to bring about the reign of God here and now,” she said.
The nun, who expressed surprise and sadness over the Bureau of Immigration’s order, added: “I would miss not being part of this call in the Philippines.”
The Immigration on Wednesday forfeited the missionary visa of Fox and ordered her to leave the country for allegedly engaging in partisan political activities.
The bureau, however, said that Fox’s deportation case is still pending before its special prosecutor as she has yet to file her counter-affidavit.
READ: Immigration orders Australian nun Patricia Fox to leave Philippines
Reconsider the decision
Her legal counsel, Jobert Pahilga, said that they would first file a motion for reconsideration before the Immigration to contest the order. But should it deny their appeal, they would take the case to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, if needed.
“If her missionary visa will be canceled and she will enter here as a tourist, then she can stay here for only several weeks and she can’t do anymore her missionary work which she loves to perform in the Philippines,” Pahilga said in an interview on ANC’s “Headstart.”
In a separate statement, Fox remains hopeful that she would be given a chance to explain her mission as a religious sister so the decision can be considered.
“As a Christian believing that our mission is to bring God’s Kingdom to the here and now, I couldn’t help but get involved both with projects, such as training in organic farming, to uplift the livelihood of the farmers but also to advocate with them for their lands to land, livelihood, peace, justice and security—all universal human rights which the Church sees as integral to her mission,” she said.
But whatever happens, the nun who has been dedicating a quarter of her life in a third-world nation is “forever grateful” to the Filipinos who have supported her.
“I may lose my right to be in the Philippines but I can never lose the learnings and beautiful memories,” Fox said.
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The Bureau of Immigration releases from its custody rights and land reform advocate Patricia “Sister Pat” Fox who was nabbed for her reported violation of country’s law banning participation in any political assembly.
The 71-year-old lay missionary was detained in the immigrations office Monday afternoon. Her arrest came only a day after BI deported Giacomo Filibeck, an official of the Party of European Socialists.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo says there is a "reign of fear" on part of those who violate the law as a response to Australian nun Sister Patricia Fox's remark on President Rodrigo Duterte's "reign of tyranny."
"She was a violator, that’s precisely why she departed from the country but that is not to say that… We are grateful for the good deeds she performed but that will not exempt her from the punishment imposed by law," Panelo says while conceding that the nun is entitled to her opinion.
The elderly nun, who spent decades working with the marginalized, returned to Australia on Saturday, November 3, after losing a long legal battle in the Philippines to stop her deportation.
She apparently angered Duterte by joining a fact-finding mission in April to investigate alleged abuses against farmers, including killings and evictions by soldiers fighting guerrillas in Mindanao.
The Bureau of Immigration denies Australian missionary Patricia Fox's request for an extension of her temporary visitor's visa and orders her to leave the country before November 3, the day her visa expires.
"Under the circumstances, she is compelled to leave under strong protest. We will not allow the government to forcibly expel Sr. Fox out of the country given her stature as a respected missionary nun and human rights defender neither will we give them the wicked pleasure of gloating over this injustice," National Union of People's Lawyers and Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo, which have acted as counsels and have campaigned for public support for the nun, say in a statement.
They add: "Sr. Pat will continue her missionary and human rights work wherever she may be. She will continue to stand for the oppressed and speak about injustices against the Filipino people."
Justice Secretary Guevarra says Fox's "voluntary departure on November 3, if true, is without prejudice to the resolution of her deportation case." He adds that if Fox wins the deportation case, her name will be removed from the Immigration bureau's blacklist.
The Bureau of Immigration has downgraded Australian nun Patricia Fox’s Missionary Visa to a Temporary Visitor’s Visa with a 59-day validity.
Sister Patricia Fox's legal counsels say they have yet to receive the official copy of the Bureau of Immigration order denying their motion for reconsideration on the Australian nun's application for a missionary visa.
Earlier on Monday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the Immigration has rejected Fox's appeal for an extension of her missionary visa.
Meanwhile, Fox is set to file on Monday next week, October 15, her reply on the comment of the Immigration on her petition for review before the Justice department on the deportation filed against her.
"Sr. Pat hopes that the DOJ will settle the substantive issues raised in our Petition for Review particularly on the right of foreigners to their exercise of freedom of expression and assembly, universally recognized by both domestic and international laws, which the BI refused to squarely address," they say.
The Bureau of Immigration denies Sister Patricia Fox's request to extend her missionary visa.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval tells Philstar.com in a text message that the Australian nun is ordered to file for downgrading to revert her visa status to a temporary visitor with a 59-day stay starting the date of the expiry of her missionary visa.
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