Manila, Philippines, Apr 17, 2018 / 18:02 pm
An Australian nun was arrested and briefly detained earlier this week in the Philippines as the government cracks down on foreign human rights activists in the country.
Sister Patricia Fox was arrested April 16 by immigration authorities at her convent, where she serves as the Philippine superior of the international Catholic congregation Sisters of Our Lady of Sion. She has been working primarily with the rural poor in the country for the past 27 years.
Fox was held for 22 hours by authorities before being released, after "no probable cause" was found for her arrest and she was proven to be a legally documented alien with a missionary visa, according to UCA News. There is still a pending further investigation of her activities to determine whether she should be deported.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines' news outlet (CBCP News) reported that they were told Fox was arrested for being an "undesirable alien" for participating in regional farmer protests.