An Australian nun who was ordered to leave The Philippines after her visa was cancelled over allegations of being involved in “political activities” has won an appeal of the decision.
Sr Patricia Fox – whom President Rodrigo Duterte had personally ordered be investigated over alleged “illegal political activities” – was arrested in April and held briefly in detention. The 71-year-old was subsequently told she had 30 days to leave the country, but she won a reprieve on 25th May pending the outcome of an appeal to the Department of Justice.
On Monday, Secretary of Justice, Menardo I Guevarra, declared the order that Fox’s visa be forfeited was “without legal basis” and that the Bureau of Immigration did not have the power to forfeit her visa. The bureau’s orders were nullified.
The decision means that while Fox can stay in The Philippines, a procedure started to cancel her visa was still “valid and subsisting”.
“The BI treated this act as a case for visa forfeiture instead of one for visa cancellation, said Secretary Guevarra in a statement released by the department. “As a result, the Bureau has yet to decide whether the supposed actions of Fox do indeeed justify the cancellation of her visa. It would therefore be premature for us at the DOJ to decide that matter now. For that reason, we are returning this case to the BI for its proper disposition.”
Fox, of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion, has been a missionary in The Philippines since 1990. Following this week’s decision, she thanked supporters and said she would continue her fight to stay in The Philippines.
“I’ve been here for a long time now and I’ve got very fond of the people here,” Australia’s ABC quoted her as saying. “I find a lot of purpose in what I’m doing here [in the Philippines] so I would like to continue.”
