MANILA – The deportation of Australian missionary nun Patricia Fox was based on an order Sen. Leila de Lima signed when she was Justice secretary, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed.
It was de Lima who signed an order prohibiting foreigners from joining any gathering, whether for or against the government, in the Philippines, Duterte told the Filipino community in Singapore.
“Ang may gawa ng rules niyan na kung sumali ka doon sa protesta, mga political rallies, ide-deport ka, kaninong order iyan? … Ang aking kaibigan nasa loob ng presuhan, si de Lima,” he said.
A fierce critic of Duterte and his government’s bloody antidrug crackdown, de Lima was detained on illegal drug charges.
“Siya ang pumirma noong (Immigration Operation Order 2015-25), hindi ko ni-revoke iyan. Hayaan mo diyan. Balang araw magamit natin … Kita mo ang g— tahimik,” Duterte said, using an expletive.
Foreigners have no right to criticize the government, he said.
“’Pag Pilipino ka, you have every right na murahin ako kasi baka hindi ka talaga kuntento sa trabaho ko. Empleyado lang ako e,” he said. “Kung ikaw hindi Pilipino, p— i— mo, do not f— with me kasi wala kang karapatan.
“Hindi ka naman nagsusweldo, turista ka lang. Sabihin mo madre ka, e ano? Siguro mo ba iyong Diyos mo, Diyos ko?” he added. “Sabi ko nga noon sa ano, your God has no common sense. My God has it.”
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, who heads the three-man panel that investigated Fox, had said Fox’s missionary visa has been cancelled for violating Section 9 of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
Fox, who has been helping peasants and indigenous peoples for 27 years, was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration on April 16 pursuant to a mission order issued by Morente. She was released a day later.
Two days after her arrest and release, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed to have ordered an investigation on Fox for supposed “disorderly conduct.”
The Commission on Human Rights started an investigation into the arrest.
Malacañang has also presented a supposed photo of Fox speaking at a rally organized by Kilusang Mayo Uno and Gabriela party-list in front of the beverage distribution center in Ulas, Davao City on April 9./PN
