Source: Associated Press
By Jim Gomez
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine immigration bureau on Thursday ordered the deportation of an Australian nun who has angered the president by joining anti-government rallies, but her lawyers called the move “persecution” and said they would appeal.
The Bureau of Immigration also wants to prohibit Sister Patricia Anne Fox from returning to the country for violating the terms of her missionary visa.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Fox’s deportation would not be enforced while she appeals. Last month, Guevarra revoked the Bureau of Immigration’s cancellation of Fox’s missionary visa but allowed the agency to proceed with efforts to deport her for another alleged offense.
Fox, 71, is a coordinator of a Roman Catholic order of nuns and has worked for the poor in the Philippines for about 27 years. She advocates for human rights and workers’ welfare and has joined rallies against President Rodrigo Duterte and his government, which has been criticized for stifling dissent and for its brutal war on illegal drugs in which thousands of mostly poor suspects have died.
Categories: Asia, Australia, Philippines, The Muslim Times