‘Apologies are in order’ over Australian nun’s ‘wrong’ arrest – Palace

Australian nun Patricia Fox during her release from detention at the Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday, April 16, 2018. (INQUIRER/MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)

Malacañang said on Wednesday that “apologies are in order” after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox.

The BI said 71-year-old Fox was arrested for being an undesirable alien.

“Mayroon naman pong batas na ang mga dayuhan ay hindi dapat nanghihimasok sa politika natin… Ang problema lang ay mukhang nagkamali dito kay Sister Fox,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over GMA 7’s Unang Balita.

“Siguro apologies are in order kasi madalian naman siyang pinalabas din ng BI (Bureau of Immigration). Siguro nagkakamali rin naman ang BI,” Roque added.

READ: BI releases Australian nun Patricia Fox but…

On Monday, Immigration agents arrested Fox at her home in Quezon City, and took her to the BI head office in Intramuros, Manila.

READ: BI confirms arrest of Australian nun

But she was released on Tuesday, as recommended by the BI legal division headed by lawyer Arvin Cesar Santos, for further investigation after it was established that Fox holds a valid missionary visa, and therefore, a properly documented foreigner in the country. /kga