Senators have mixed reactions to BI deportation order vs. Australian missionary

Senators on Wednesday had mixed reactions to the Bureau of Immigration's order for Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox to leave the country.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Senators Francis Escudero and Panfilo Lacson agreed that the decision to deport a foreigner is a right of the host country.

“Sa particular case na ‘yan I don't know what she said, where she said it, etc. Ang akin lang gustong sabihin is nasa power ng BI ‘yung to arrest, detain, and then deport foreigners who violated our domestic laws,” Pimentel said in a news forum.

He said the general rule is that foreigners should not interfere in domestic politics of the any country, including Filipinos who are abroad.

“Ganun din tayo when we are abroad ‘wag tayo makialam sa kanilang mga kilos protesta sa kanilang bansa kasi I am sure, kahit hindi ko pa nababasa ‘yung batas ng bansang yun, bawal din ‘yun. Ganun po talaga ‘yun. Kasi ang domestic politics ay reserved for the citizens of that country,” he said.

Escudero said the deportation order was unfortunate but the grant, denial or withdrawal of a visa is discretionary on the part of any country.

“I am hopeful that Sister Fox can return again soon and this misunderstanding can be clarified and resolved,” he said.

He cited that in the past, his application for a United States visa was denied despite his being admitted to a school in the US.

“I had to appeal it. Same is true here. It’s not a question of right or wrong, it’s a question of a country having the prerogative to grant or deny a visa and for the applicant to have remedies in case of denied or withdrawal, including applying for a different type of visa,” he said.

Lacson said the bill of rights under the equal protection clause in the Constitution does not distinguish between foreigners and citizens of the country.

However, he said, there is an existing jurisprudence that allows the executive branch through the BI to impose limitations on certain activities of foreigners that are inimical to the interest of the state “and that is what the government has applied in the case of Sister Patricia Fox.”

“Before condemning the Duterte administration, it is prudent to understand the facts surrounding the issue involving the Australian nun,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Lacson added that if there is sufficient evidence pointing to violations committed by Sister Fox, the BI must be supported by all Filipinos who love and care for the country's national interest.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III texted “dura lex, sed lex (the law maybe harsh but it is the law)” when sought for comment on the matter.

Deporting nuns, freeing drug lords?

While he agrees that it is the prerogative of the Philippine government to promulgate and implement rules as to who may be allowed to stay in the country, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito asked if it was best exercised against the 71-year old missionary worker for alleged “partisan activities.”

“I am sure that there are other foreigners in the country involved in more nefarious activities such as  drug trafficking, child prostitution, human trafficking, aiding and training local terror networks that deserve the full force of our immigration laws,” he said in a press statement.

Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, meanwhile, said he will file a resolution to investigate possible abuses in the deportation of foreign nationals.

“Binalewala ng administrasyon ang ilang taong pagtulong ni Sister Patricia Fox sa mahihirap na Pilipino dahil siya’y nakikiisa sa kanilang ipinaglalaban. Lantaran na ang panggigipit sa mga taong lumalaban at hindi sunud-sunuran,” he said.

He said that now, more than ever, people need laws to protect the rights of those willing to stand up to power and speak out against injustices.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, for her part, said the Immigration's order against Fox was outrageous and unbelievable.

Hontiveros sees the move as an act that promotes further the climate of impunity in the country rather than secure our sovereignty.

She said it is disheartening as a Filipino that the President chooses to be a "Deporter-in-Chief" to his perceived critics than a real commander-in-chief against actual threats to the country's sovereignty and national security.

“How can a 71-year old Australian nun, who has been doing missionary work in the Philippines for the last 27 years, be a threat to our country?  Is the Duterte government saying that the 71-year old Australian nun is more of a threat to the country than its Chinese ally that has repeatedly disregarded our sovereignty and occupied our territories in the West Philippine Sea? We deport missionaries but allow China to continue its incursions unchallenged?” she said.

She asked if the Duterte administration is saying that Sister Patricia is more dangerous than alleged big-time drug lord Peter Lim.

“So we deport nuns while we let known and self-confessed drug lords roam free? Is the Duterte government saying that the country has more to fear from Sister Patricia than the police officers who murdered the Mayor of Albuera, and who the Senate unanimously concluded are guilty of extrajudicial killing?” she said.

She called on the BI to review and overturn its decision to forfeit Fox's missionary visa and the order for her to leave the country.

“I would like to believe that the Philippines is still a country governed by democracy and political tolerance, and not ruled by impunity,” she said. —ALG/BM/RSJ, GMA News