Immigration releases 'partisan' Australian nun a day after apprehension

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration has released Australian rights advocate and lay missionary Patricia “Sister Pat” Fox.

At around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, bureau spokesperson Antonette Mangrobang said that the BI is in the “process of implementing [the] release order.”

Fox was apprehended by immigration agents on Tuesday afternoon, pursuant to a mission order issued by Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

The BI earlier said that they received reports of Fox participating in “partisan” activities prohibited under the BI’s Operations Order No. SBM 2015-025.

Human rights advocates stormed the immigration office in Intramuros, Manila to demand the release of the elderly nun.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, the BI said: “Morente approved the recommendation of the BI legal division headed by lawyer Arvin Cesar Santos that Fox be released for further investigation."

The agents’ investigation found that Fox holds a valid missionary ID and is a properly documented alien, Immigration added.

'Fox apprehended over intelligence report'

Mangrobang, in an interview with ANC on Tuesday morning, said that apprehension of Fox was based on an intelligence report of Fox’s political activity.

But the BI legal team, in a two-page note with recommendation to Morente, said that “while Fox was alleged to have taken part in protest actions by farmers in the past, she was not doing so at the time when BI operatives served her the mission order.”

The Australian nun will not be subjected to an inquest proceeding as she was not arrested while “in flagrante” (or, in the act) of violating the immigration laws.

A preliminary investigation will also be conducted to determine if deportation charges should be filed against her.

According to Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Manila auxilliary bishop, Fox has been doing humanitarian work in the Philippines for about 27 years. Her work revolves around helping “farmers, workers, urban poor,” and visiting those who are in jail.

Militants storm the gate of the Bureau of Immigration demanding that they release Sister Patricia Fox.@PhilippineStar pic.twitter.com/l0PvBgYHnP

— evelynzmacairan (@EZMacairan) April 17, 2018

Fox was apprehended a day after the government barred Giacomo Filibeck, an official of the Party of European Socialist, from entering the country.

The Immigration bureau said that Filibeck violated the country’s law for tourists when he was part of a seven-member delegation in October 2017 that denounced the rising spate of killings in the country.

Filibeck has since been placed on the immigration blacklist.