MANILA, Philippines — Australian nun Patricia Fox maintained that she did not say anything in a protest action she had attended in Davao City earlier this month that might have earned the ire of President Duterte.
“I did not say anything [about Duterte],” Fox said in a press briefing Thursday.
The 71-year-old advocate of land reform and peasant rights was asked to leave the country within 30 days for allegedly participating in partisan political activities.
Last Friday, Malacañang presented photos of Fox showing that she spoke at a rally organized by the Kilusang Mayo Uno and Gabriela party-list in front of the local Coca-Cola factory in Davao City on April 9.
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But Fox said that she only showed support to the workers.
“Sabi nila pwede may something words of support kaya sinabi ko sa kanila na ‘ang puso ko ay nasa inyo’ and social teachings of the church [ay] malinaw: may karapatang ma-unionize, may karapatan to a just wage, may right to a security of tenure and sana pabalikin kayo sa trabaho. ‘Yan lang ang sinabi ko,” she said.
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The lay missionary, who has been working in the country for 27 years, noted that she felt “ill” when she learned about the Immigration order yesterday.
“Sana may due process, sana may pagkakataon ako para mapaliwanag kung ano ba ang missionary work,” she said.
Fox’s legal team believes she caught the government’s attention when she joined a fact-finding mission on the alleged human rights abuses in Mindanao.
“Si sister napag-initan kasi foreigner siya pero bakit siya sumasali sa ganyan. Essentially ‘yun ‘yung root ng lahat ng ito,” lawyer Jobert Pahilga said.
The Immigration’s Operations Order SBM-2015-025 provides that “foreign tourists are prohibited from engaging in any political activity as defined by law and jurisprudence, such as but not limited to, joining, supporting, contributing or involving themselves in whatever manner in any rally, assembly, gathering, whether for or against the government.”
Groups raised concern that this Immigration order would be used to harass and arrest more foreigners critical of the Philippine government.
In a speech last week, an angry Duterte blasted Fox for her supposedly having a “shameful mouth: and admitted that he was the one who ordered Immigration officials to investigate her.
He noted that foreigners are not allowed to criticize the government in the Philippine soil.
“You don’t have the right to criticize us. You can come here to enjoy all the sights,” Duterte said.
READ: Duterte says he ordered Immigration to investigate Australian nun