BI junks Fox's appeal to extend missionary visa
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration threw out Sister Patricia Fox’s appeal to extend her missionary visa, for failing to raise new arguments.
The Immigration bureau said in a statement that its board of commissioners junked Fox’s motion for reconsideration as it was “merely a reiteration or rehash of arguments already submitted, and found to be without merit.”
Fox’s missionary visa expired on September 5. She sought an extension of that visa, but her plea was denied on September 13.
She filed a motion for reconsideration on the said ruling, but that was junked on Monday, October 8.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that Fox is “required to apply for the downgrading of her visa” so she may be given a temporary visitor’s visa that has a validity of 59 days.
The visitor’s visa will take effect from the start of the expiry of her missionary visa last September 5.
Sandoval said that Fox may face another deportation case if she fails to apply for a visitor’s visa.
Petition for review on deportation order
Fox also asked the Department of Justice to overturn the Immigration’s deportation order against her.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Monday that the BI has already filed its comment on Fox’s petition for review.
Fox’s camp, in a statement, said that they will file their Reply on BI’s Comment on October 15.
They also said that they are hoping 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.”
Guevarra, meanwhile, said “the petition for review on the deportation order, on the other hand, will be decided in due time.”
President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted to ordering the investigation into Fox. He has repeatedly vented his ire at Fox in his later speeches, saying that the elderly Australian nun has a “shameful mouth.”
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