Immigration downgrades Sister Fox's visa allowing her Philippine stay until Nov. 3
MANILA, Philippines — Sister Patricia Fox can stay in the country as a tourist until next week, pending the ruling on her appeal before the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Immigration said on Friday.
The Immigration bureau, in a statement, said that it has downgraded Fox’s missionary visa to a temporary visitor’s visa that has a 59-day validity.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said: “Downgrading reverted her status to a temporary visitor, and she is given 59 days from the day her missionary visa expired, which was September 5.” This means that the Australian nun’s temporary visitor’s visa would expire on November 3.
The order was signed on October 24, but was made public only on Friday.
Asked if this meant that Fox would have to leave on November 3, Sandoval said that it is “too early to tell” if her visa could still be extended.
“We have to wait for the decision on her appeal to the DOJ first,” Sandoval added.
The Immigration on October 4 denied Fox’s motion for reconsideration to extend her missionary visa.
The Australian missionary was earlier ordered deported by the Immigration after its Board of Commissioners found that she violated the conditions of her missionary visa.
The Immigration bureau cited, in particular, Fox’s photos where she allegedly engaged in partisan political activities in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018, including when she reportedly urged for the release of political prisoners and joined rallies.
She has elevated the reversal of the deportation order to the Justice department that has yet to rule on her Petition for Review.
The 72-year-old Fox spent the last 27 years in the country, extending help to land reform advocates, indigenous peoples and political prisoners.
President Rodrigo Duterte has publicly admitted to ordering the investigation into Fox. He repeatedly lambasted the elderly nun for having a “shameful mouth” for supposedly criticizing him at rallies.
The chief executive said that foreigners are not allowed to criticize the Philippine government. “You don’t have the right to criticize us. You can come here to enjoy all the sights,” the president said on April 18.
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