Church people, rights group denounce continuing threats to deport Aussie nun

The Ramento Project on Rights Defenders strongly denounced the continuing threats to have Australian missionary nun Sr. Patricia Fox deported, following her illegal arrest and detention last April 16, 2018 in her residence in Quezon City by elements of the Bureau of Immigration.

“The continuing threats to have Sr. Pat deported prove nothing but President Duterte’s cowardice. The tough-talking president, it seems, is threatened by a good-natured and meek nun, who, for the last 27 years, has done nothing but touch the lives of many Filipinos,” said RPRD Board Chairperson Bishop Ronel Fabriquer.

It was no less than President Rodrigo Duterte who said he personally ordered the arrest of the 71-year-old missionary nun for the latter’s supposed “disorderly conduct.” In his speech, as expected, President Duterte did not miss the opportunity to hurl expletives and alleged that Sr. Pat, as she is known in the ecumenical community, has a “foul mouth.”

“It is ironic how Duterte accuses Sr. Pat of having no shame and of having a foul mouth, while spewing hate speech against her. It is also ludicrous how Duterte easily cries ‘violation of sovereignty; against people who have rightfully raised issues on human rights in the country, while his government has allowed foreign troops in our islands, China’s occupation and building of facilities in our territories, and the recently signing a loan agreement amounting to about P3billion with China for a pump irrigation project in the Chico River which would further plunder our resources and uproot indigenous communities in the Cordilleras,” human rights group Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.

Meanwhile, the Ecumenical Bishops’ Forum said, “the plight of Sr. Pat sends a chilling message to everyone. The persecution of church people does not only reveal the sword of a despotic government that seeks to suppress the Church’s role as a moral compass of society.” (RPRD News)

(Photo grabbed from GMA News)

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