MANILA — The camp of Australian missionary Sr. Patricia Anne Fox on Monday asked the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to dismiss the deportation case against her.
Fox’ s counsel Sol Taule of the National Union of People’s Lawyers submitted the 16-page memorandum to the Board of Special Inquiry (BSI) at BI office in Intramuros, Manila.
“We filed a memorandum today (Monday) pursuant sa deportation case filed against sister. This is a separate proceeding, deportation proceedings. We filed our memorandum to answer allegations that she is an undesirable alien,” she said in an interview.
In the memorandum, the respondent urged the BI to remove her name from its watch list.
Fox reiterated her earlier statement that she did not violate the limitations and conditions of her missionary visa.
“Respondent is doing missionary work by helping the oppressed and marginalized in the Philippines, which is neither a crime nor a ground for deportation pursuant to Sec. 37 of Commonwealth Act (CA) 613,” the memorandum added.
Likewise, she said that she did not interfere in political activities in the country.
“The alleged political activities are not political but are consistent with the Respondent’s mission as a Religious Missionary, within the ambit of the activities which she can undertake pursuant to her Missionary Visa,” the memorandum added.
With this, Fox’s legal counsel added that they are expecting the BI to issue a resolution after they submitted the memorandum.
“Supposedly for resolution, unless they require us to submit other papers. But, it is our answer to the allegations,” she explained.
“It’s in their hands on when they would like to come up with a decision. Anytime soon. Once they received it, they will study. They would come out with a decision,” Taule added.
For her part, Fox is hoping that the BI would also dismiss the deportation case.
“I’m hoping that they would just dismiss that too. From my point of view I haven’t done anything that breaches my conditions of stay here,” the 71-year-old nun added. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
