Duterte says if Fox, other foreign Christian missionaries are allowed, Muslim missionaries must also be allowed

July 5, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte has justified his administration's action to ban Australian nun Patricia Fox and other Christian missionaries in the country.

Duterte said if the Christian missionaries would be allowed in the country, then the foreign Muslim missionaries should also be allowed entry.

"So if we allow the priests and nuns to come here, Sister Fox, and call us stupid, fools in government, then why should not we allow the Islam missionaries? Because to discriminate is to violate the Constitution, the freedom of religion," he said in a speech during the anniversary of the Office of the Solicitor General on Tuesday.

The government has been strictly monitoring Arab-looking foreigners in the country.

Meanwhile, a deportation case against Fox has been pending before the Bureau of Immigration after she allegedly engaged in a partisan political activity when she joined a labor rally in Davao City early this year.

The Bureau of Immigration has also ordered the deportation of three foreign Methodist missionaries for allegedly engaging also in prohibited partisan political activities. Celerina Monte/DMS