Philippines deports detained Zimbabwean missionary

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration has deported Tawanda Chandiwana, the Zimbabwean missionary who had gained sympathy and support from different groups for his detention in the country.

Immigration spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval confirmed in a message to reporters that Chandiwana was deported noon of Thursday.

Rights groups have called for the release of the Zimbabwean missionary. Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay earlier said: “We call on the Duterte administration to stop the harassment and attacks against missionaries and human rights defenders.”

Karapatan also called for the release of American Adam Thomas Shaw and Malawian Miracle Osman, who are also missionaries.

The Immigration, on Tuesday, insisted that the religious workers have been overstaying and engaging in political activities.

The bureau said that Chandiwana admitted that he had been working in the country since October 2016, but only applied for a visa in 2017.

He was apprehended in Toril, Davao City on May 9.

The Immigration bureau said Shaw initially entered the country in 2011, and has admitted to conducting missionary work without a visa from 2011 to 2013. It was only in 2017 that Shaw was granted a missionary visa, but it expired last April 26.

Osman, meanwhile, was included in the bureau’s watchlist last March 12.

Shaw left the country on Wednesday morning, Sandoval said. However, the Immigration bureau could not immediately confirm when Osman can leave the country.

In a statement last Tuesday, Sandoval reiterated that foreigners are not allowed to join political activities in the country.

Last April, Immigration apprehended Australian missionary Patricia Fox due to intelligence reports that the elderly nun had been engaging in political activities. She has said that she was only showing solidarity with farmers and the poor but had not joined partisan political activities.

She is also subject to deportation case that could end up barring her from returning to the Philippines, where she had been doing missionary work for close to three decades.

The Immigration bureau denied that there is a crackdown in foreign missionaries in the country.

“In fact, there are currently more than 500 lawful missionary visa holders in our records, and we welcome and appreciate their presence, as long as the visa is not abused for purposes of joining partisan political activities,” Sandoval said.