Sister Fox to contest deportation order before CA

Australian nun Patricia Fox files her reply to the deportation proceedings against her before Department of Justice in Manila. (PNA photo by Benjamin Pulta)

MANILA — Australian nun and activist Patricia Fox on Monday said she plans to question the government’s deportation order before the Court of Appeals (CA) in case the Department of Justice (DOJ) rules against her.

Fox filed her reply to the DOJ accompanied by around 20 members of the left-leaning Anakpawis party-list group.

“I did nothing illegal and I did nothing wrong,” Fox told newsmen.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said following the Bureau of Immigration (BI)’s ruling, the matter on Fox’s deportation will be resolved by his office.

The BI denied Fox’s motion for reconsideration regarding the non-renewal of her missionary visa. She was directed to downgrade and apply for a temporary visitor’s visa instead, which has a validity of 59 days.

Fox earlier challenged the government’s deportation order for allegedly taking part in partisan political activities.

The BI found that Fox violated the terms of her missionary visa and recommended barring her re-entry into the country after several photographs showed her engaging in political activities since 2013, such as demanding the release of political prisoners, joining rallies for land distribution in Hacienda Luisita, and a labor rally in Davao City.

She was asked to report to the immigration bureau office following reports of her participation in anti-government activities last April.

“The power to deport aliens is lodged in the President of the Republic of the Philippines. The Commissioner of Immigration exercises this power, however, as the qualified political agent of the President. As the administrative alter-ego of the President in deportation cases, the actions of the Commissioner of Immigration relative to the arrest and detention of undesirable aliens are, unless reprobated or disapproved by the President, presumptively the acts of the President,” the BI’s ruling read.