Connect with us

News

2 Methodist missionaries in BI watchlist deported

Published

on

Two of the three United Methodist Church (UMC) missionaries who were included in the Bureau of Immigration's watchlist have already left the country.(Photo: Bureau of Immigration, Republic of the Philippines/ Facebook)

Two of the three United Methodist Church (UMC) missionaries who were included in the Bureau of Immigration’s watchlist have already left the country. (Photo: Bureau of Immigration, Republic of the Philippines/ Facebook)

MANILA — Two of the three United Methodist Church (UMC) missionaries who were included in the Bureau of Immigration’s watchlist have already left the country.

In a text message to reporters, BI Spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said Zimbabwean national Tawanda Chandiwana was deported to his country Thursday noon.

Chandiwana was detained for overstaying and violating the provisions of the missionary visa granted to him after he was found to have engaged in political activities.

On the other hand, another UMC missionary, American Adam Thomas Shaw, took a flight back to the US Wednesday morning.

No further details of their departure were provided.

Shaw was ordered to leave for engaging in missionary works without a visa, overstaying, and for involvement in leftist activities.

As for another missionary, Malawian Miracle Osman, the BI official said they would still check on her status. She was included on the BI’s watchlist last March 12, and was ordered to leave last June 18.

The foreigners were ordered to submit their requirements for the fulfillment of their order to leave before they could depart the country.

All of them were subsequently included on the BI’s blacklist following reports of their involvement in leftist activities.

“Alien missionaries in the Philippines must be actually, directly, and exclusively engaged in religious work. They must not engage in any endeavor that is not consistent with their religious or missionary vocation,” Sandoval earlier said.

At the same time, she clarified that there is no crackdown on foreign missionaries.

Based on BI’s records, there are more than 500 missionary visa holders in the country.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

PBBM PBBM
News3 mins ago

PBBM cites rich Filipino cuisine as PH tourism ‘entrée’

MANILA – Aside from captivating islands and beaches, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. honored the rich diversity of the Philippines’ culinary...

News7 mins ago

DFA asserts PH not pawn, bystander in WPS issue

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs dismissed claims by some groups that the Philippines is a mere pawn in the...

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac
News12 mins ago

DMW chief Cacdac, 25 other appointees to undergo CA grilling

MANILA – Newly designated Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and 25 other presidential appointees will undergo grilling by the congressional...

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
News22 mins ago

Charade, DND chief says of latest China statement on WPS agreement

MANILA – China’s latest statement to justify its illegal presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is a “charade” and only...

workers workers
News28 mins ago

Marcos eases permitting process of flagship infra projects

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the streamlining of the permitting process for the Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs)...

News38 mins ago

PBBM forms inter-agency body to create master list of gov’t lands

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the creation of an inter-agency coordinating council to consolidate the master list...

Health1 day ago

Lessons from COVID-19: Preparing for future pandemics means looking beyond the health data

The World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 5, 2023. In the year...

News1 day ago

What a second Trump presidency might mean for the rest of the world

Just over six months ahead of the US election, the world is starting to consider what a return to a...

supermarket line supermarket line
Business and Economy1 day ago

Some experts say the US economy is on the up, but here’s why voters don’t think so

Many Americans are gloomy about the economy, despite some data saying it is improving. The Economist even took this discussion...

News1 day ago

Boris Johnson: if even the prime minister who introduced voter ID can forget his, do we need a rethink?

Former prime minister Boris Johnson was reportedly turned away on election day after arriving at his polling station to vote...

WordPress Ads