Sister Patricia Fox showed both her soft and hard sides during a press conference at St. Joseph’s College in Quezon City on Saturday, Nov. 3, hours before her departure from the Philippines.
The Australian missionary thanked those who were with her since she arrived in the country until her battle against the deportation order issued by the Bureau of Immigration.
“Maraming salamat sa lahat ng sumama sa ‘kin dito sa laban at pamula dumating ako sa Pilipinas may mga sumabaybay sa ‘kin. Salamat sa mga wishes. Salamat sa mga sector,” Fox said her voice is close to breaking as she spoke in Filipino, which she had learned in her 27 years of living in the Philippines.
[Thank you so much to those who joined me in this fight and who have been following me since I arrived in the Philippines. Thank you for the wishes. Thank you to the sectors.]
Sister Patricia Fox. Photo by Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net
Fox expressed sadness on her nearing departure.
She also noted that she was not being deported from the Philippines, but rather she chose to exit the country.
“I am also saying that I am not deported. I am actually going out of the jurisdiction, I’m not being deported,” she said.
Her flight bound for Australia was scheduled for Saturday night.
According to Fox, her pending deportation case before the Department of Justice would continue despite her leave from the country.
“The deportation case is continuing and will continue. My problem was the visa, and you cannot force the government to give your visa,” she said. “So what I chose is to go out at present and to take my advocacies outside the Philippines.”
Despite the issues surrounding her visa, Fox said that she was still hoping to return.
“Kapag may panahon, babalik talaga. One day,” she said.
[When there’s time, I will return. One day.] /atm