MANILA — An official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said Australian nun Patricia Anne Fox has 30 days to file an appeal on the deportation order issued against her.
BI spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said if Fox fails to file a motion for reconsideration (MR) for the reversal of the order, the foreigner has to voluntarily report to the Bureau with the requirements of her deportation.
“She has 30 days to file an appeal otherwise she can voluntarily present herself with the requirements,” she said in a statement.
Sandoval noted that the Australian nun is given one month upon receipt of the order “before it can be considered final and executory.”
On August 23, the BI Board of Commissioners issued a three-page resolution, denying the MR filed by Fox for having “no new matters raised that warrant the modification or reversal of the resolution.”
The order was signed by Commissioner Jaime Morente, Deputy Commissioner J. Tobias Javier, and Officer-In-Charge Deputy Commissioner Marc Red Marinas.
Sandoval reiterated that foreign nationals are not allowed to join rallies in the country.
“Foreign missionaries in the country must be actually, directly, and exclusively engaged in religious work, and are not allowed to engage in partisan political activities inconsistent with their religious vocation,” she said.
Meanwhile, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Fox can still file an appeal either before them or at Office of the President.
He added that the foreigner can also elevate her case to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
Last July, the BI issued a deportation order against Fox for violating the conditions of her stay and for being an undesirable alien. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
