MANILA, Philippines — Australian missionary Patricia Fox on Wednesday said she welcomes the idea of becoming a Filipino citizen after the House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc filed a bill, which seeks to grant her a Filipino citizenship.
“I welcome the idea of having Filipino citizenship. But whatever the outcome, my heart will always remain with the Filipino people,” Fox said in a statement sent to Philstar.com.
The 71-year-old nun expressed gratitude to the seven party-list lawmakers for their gesture to file House Bill 7806, which aims to recognize her service to the poor and marginalized Filipinos.
“I thank these [congressmen] for their support and recognition that I have been trying to be in solidarity with the poorer sectors of society while here in the Philippines, listening to their cries for land, security of tenure, just wages, decent housing and that the human rights of all be respected,” she said.
READ: Makabayan bloc pushes to grant Filipino citizenship to Sister Fox
Fox said that these duties are not only for the Church people to perform but also for everyone.
“We all belong to one world and what happens in one country, whether for good [or] evil, affects people everywhere. Our cultures, skin color, language, accents may differ but our dreams for our life and that of future generations are the same,” she said.
The Bureau of Immigration said that the agency could no longer deport her if the proposed bill to make Fox a Filipino citizen is granted.
The measure, however, might have difficulty to get the lower house’s nod as most lawmakers there are allied with Duterte. Even if that happens and the Senate passes a counterpart measure, it is even more unlikely that the president will sign it into law.
Fox was given until June 18 to leave the country following an appeal to the Department of Justice to reverse the leave order handed by the BI against her over alleged involvement in partisan politics and activities.
Fox, a Melbourne native, was supposed to leave last Friday, May 25.
READ: Sister Fox on extended stay in Philippines: ‘Temporary victory’