BI orders 71-year-old Australian missionary deported

July 19, 2018

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday ordered the deportation of Australian missionary Patricia Fox and included her its blacklist, which bars her re-entry to the Philippines. In ordering her deportation, the BI said it find substantial evidence that the 71-year old missionary violated the limitations of her missionary visa in the country. “Sometime in 2013, 2016 and 2017, Fox illegally engaged and interfered in Philippine political activities such as demanding the release of political prisoners, she served as one of the main participants in the press conference 'Stop Killing Farmers' aimed at protesting among others, the alleged plunder in Mindanao, she also joined the rallies for land distribution in Hacienda Luisita as well as rallies protesting the extension of martial law in Mindanao,” the order stated. It said Fox joined labor groups’ rallies in Davao City as well as one of the main participants in the press conference “Trump and Duterte, hands off rights defenders.” The BI said Fox's participation in protests, fact-finding missions and press conferences, which discussed political and human rights issues against the government, are “evidently beyond the nature or authorized duties for which she’s assigned as a missionary worker in the country. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, in a text message to the Daily Manila Shimbun, :" That's the law. " “We are utterly dismayed by the resolution of the BI ordering the deportation of Sr. Patricia Fox and placing her name in the watchlist,” said Fox’s lawyers Ma. Sol Taule, Jobert Pahilga, and Kathy Panguban in a statement. “Fox’s camp said she has just been doing her missionary work in the Philippines for the past 27 years mainly to help the poor communities. “President Duterte and the BI have no basis to say that Sister Pat is an undesirable alien, unless their definition of undesirability is helping the poor,” they said. Taule said they would exhaust all legal remedies in the case. DMS