CBCP: 'Sister Patricia Fox’s deportation unfair'

MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) lamented yesterday and branded as unfair and unjust the deportation of Australian missionary Sister Patricia Anne Fox, who is set to leave the country tomorrow.

CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Missions (ECM) chairman Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes yesterday said it was wrong to identify Fox, 72, as an undesirable alien because she has dedicated her life to help the indigenous people and the farmers. 

Fox is the provincial superior of the Sister of Our Lady of Sion and has been based in the country for the past 27 years. 

“As a bishop and a religious missionary of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), I am very disappointed with the unfair and unjust deportation of Sister Fox, who has been sacrificing her life and using her personal strength and efforts for the upliftment of the life of our fellow lumad Filipinos, the genuine and original inhabitants of our God-given land,” Bastes said.

“I cannot understand why the President and his officials call a frail lady dedicated to a noble cause an ‘undesirable alien,’” he added. 

He also said that this move by the government “shows the paranoia of our officials, who are guilty of heinous crimes against humanity. They cannot stand criticism from anyone who exposes their evil deeds.” 

He called on the Catholic faithful to “pray for our government officials, that they be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to execute right judgments.”

Last Wednesday, Fox announced that she has decided to leave the country after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) denied the extension of her temporary visitor’s visa (TVV) which would expire this Saturday. 

The deportation of Fox is not yet final since her appeal is still being reviewed at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

When her missionary visa expired on Sept. 5, she was given a TVV by the BI that was valid for 59 days or until Nov. 3.

Since she is leaving the country voluntarily, she would not be placed in the BI’s blacklist and would still be allowed to return to the country.

Fox was arrested by BI intelligence operatives on April 16 on the suspicion that she engaged in partisan political activities.