Human rights group Karapatan on Saturday denounced what it claims to be the alleged contempt by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox, who is set to leave the country after the expiration of her missionary visa.
“Karapatan denounces the nearly seven-month ordeal of Fox as one that illustrates the Duterte regime’s contempt for those who promote genuine peace and social justice in the Philippines,” the group said in a statement.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) earlier downgraded Fox’s visa status to that of a temporary visitor following the expiration of her missionary visa on September 5.
The President in a previous statement, called Fox “foul mouthed” and stressed that she must be deported.
Karapatan stressed that the struggle to protect human rights will not stop with Fox’s deportation.
“They (administration) thought that without her (Fox), the struggle for human rights and people’s rights will stop gaining allies in the international community. They are sorely mistaken,” the group said.
The human rights group added that Fox’s service to Filipinos is an act of “merit,” noting that this was different from the criticisms she had received from the President.
“Sr. Pat’s exemplary service to the Filipino people, through her missionary work among the country’s poor communities, cannot be denied,” they said. “These are acts that merit commendation, not the kind of vitriol and condemnation she has received from Duterte himself.” /muf