Fox stays for now; DOJ to hear her appeal

Australian nun Patricia Fox has hailed as a “temporary victory” the decision of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hear her appeal not to be expelled from the country over allegations she has been participating in political activities.

“The issuance of the DOJ order is our temporary victory,” read a statement from the nun’s camp yesterday.

“However, Sister Fox and her lawyers will not remain complacent since it seemed that it was no less than the most powerful man in the country, the President, who wants her out of the country,” it assured.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) previously issued an April 23 order forfeiting Fox’s missionary visa due to allegations of violating the conditions of her stay by participating in political activities and gave her a temporary visitor’s visa lasting only 30 days which was supposed to end last Friday. Fox filed a motion for reconsideration but was denied by the BI on May 24.

Because of this, Fox filed on Friday before the DOJ a petition for review which sought to overturn the BI order.

After filing the petition for review, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra issued an order the same day directing the BI to file its comment over Fox’s petition for review within “a non-extendible period of ten days from receipt hereof.”

After the BI submits its comment, the secretary is also giving Fox the opportunity to “file a reply within a non-extendible period of five days from receipt of a copy of respondent BI’s comment.”

Guevarra said that he may call for “clarificatory hearings as may be necessary to arrive at a just resolution of this appeal.”

The statement of Fox’s camp said: “Sister Pat and her lawyers welcome this recent development and appreciate the immediate and prompt action of the DOJ secretary on her appeal. For one, it removes the anxiety and concern that she will be arrested anytime by the agents of the bureau similar to what they did last April 16, 2018.”

“For another, the said Order has given her a ray of hope that her case will be justly and fairly reviewed and prays that the Bureau of Immigration’s April 23 Order will be reversed and set aside for utter lack of factual and legal basis,” it added.