MANILA — Despite the Department of Justice (DOJ) order reversing the Bureau of Immigration (BI) decision forfeiting her missionary visa and ordering her to leave the country, Malacañang on Tuesday said Australian nun Patricia Fox is “not yet off the hook.”
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that there were still deportation proceedings against her to find out if she engaged in political activities, which was beyond the allowed activities under her visa.
“Sister Fox is not yet off the hook. Ang napawalang bisa lang po ng DOJ (What the DOJ voided) is the decision of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) which nullified her missionary visa,” Roque said in a briefing in Cotabato City.
“Nakabinbin pa po yung deportation proceedings (Deportation proceedings are pending),” he added.
On Monday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra emphasized that the BI’s forfeiture of Fox’s visa has no legal basis.
“Our existing immigration laws outline what the BI can do to foreigners and their papers — including visas — when they commit certain acts within Philippine territory. What the BI did in this case is beyond what the law provides, that is why it has to be struck down,” Guevarra said.
Roque said Guevarra’s decision was done without prejudice to the BI deportation proceedings.
“Malinaw po sa desisyon ni Justice Secretary Guevarra, this is without prejudice po sa desisyon ng BI sa deportation proceedings, at ang isyu po sa deportation proceedings e, namulitiko ba talaga si Sister Fox (It is clear that in the decision of Justice Secretary Guevarra, this is without prejudice to the decision of the BI on deportation proceedings and the issue on deportation proceedings is if Sister Fox engaged in political activities),” Roque said.
He said that the Palace will await results of the deportation proceedings.
“So ulitin ko po (let me just repeat), she’s not (yet) off the hook. Ongoing po ang deportation proceedings, antayin po natin ang desisyon ng(let’s wait for the decision of the) BI on the issue of whether or not sumapi sa politika itong si Sister Fox (engaged in political activities),” he added.
Fox was apprehended by BI operatives last April 16 for allegedly violating the conditions of her stay in the country by engaging in political activities and anti-government demonstrations.
However, she was released from custody the next day. The bureau canceled her missionary visa and downgraded it to temporary visitor’s visa on April 23. (Azer Parrocha/PNA)
