Immigration: Leave order vs Sister Patricia Fox stays

MANILA, Philippines — The leave order against Australian Sister Patricia Fox—who has been at the receiving end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades—stays.

The Bureau of Immigration denied with finality Fox’s motion for reconsideration on the cancellation of her missionary visa on Wednesday.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said: “This order is final and executory. We will not entertain any further Motion for Reconsideration.”

Morente chairs the three-member Board of Commissioners that junked Fox’s appeal. He said that a notice was sent to the Australian missionary, through her legal counsel, “advising her of the steps needed for complying with the order to leave.”

READ: Sister Patricia Fox: I did not criticize Duterte

On April 25, the Immigration forfeited Fox’s missionary visa, citing her “involvement in partisan political activities.”

BI said that the board cited the photo of Fox holding a placard calling for the release of all political prisoners in the country in its decision to affirm the forfeiture of her visa.

Duterte on April 19 said that he is taking full responsibility for the investigation of Fox. In his later speeches, the firebrand leader lashed out at the 71-year-old nun and said that she has a “shameful mouth.”

The Australian missionary appealed the cancellation of her visa on May 3. She argued that BI Intelligence Agent Melody Penelope Gonzales “has no right to define and delimit what constitute the apostolate and missionary works of the Sisters of Our Lady Sion.”

The BI said that, in its order, the board said that Fox’s claims that the forfeiture of her visa did not go through due process and her denial of her engagement in political activities “were not backed with solid evidence.”

The board also stressed that Fox “acted beyond allowed activities under her visa by working outside of Barangay Amihan in Quezon City, the place where she claimed she would render her missionary work when she applied for her visa.”

READ: Philippines does not want Australian nun in the country over this photo

A copy of the order and the resolution has not been made public as of this post.

Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval clarified that the cancellation of Fox’s visa is separate from the ongoing deportation case against her. She added that pending a resolution on the deportation case, Fox can still return to the country as a tourist.

Should she be deported, Fox—who spent the last 27 years in the country doing humanitarian aid—will be placed in the blacklist and be barred from entering the country.

Fox's case earned the government strong criticism from human rights groups, who said that the Immigration order would be used to harass and arrest more foreigners critical of the Philippine government.