AN angry President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday said Australian nun Patricia Fox was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on his orders, saying he “will decide who gets in [and] who gets out.”
He described the purpose attributed to Ms. Fox’s visit as a “violation of sovereignty.” Ms. Fox was detained early this week for alleged political activities, but was thereafter released following protests by leftist groups and also by a number of lawmakers.
Mr. Duterte for his part said, “I am with the executive department. I am a worker of that department and I give the orders. And the order of who gets in and who goes out is with me. Not in Congress, not in the Supreme Court. Ako (Me).”
The President extemporized on the subject of Ms. Fox during change of command ceremonies at the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo. He also named, on that occasion, outgoing AFP chief Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero as the new head of the Maritime Industry Authority. The now-retired General Guerrero was succeeded on Wednesday by Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez Jr.
“Habang akong nandiyan (As long as I am there), do not insult my country,” Mr. Duterte said further. “Because you come here and go, akala ninyo (you thought)… We never did that to Australia. We never did that (in any) European country. Ikaw, madre (You, nun), why don’t you criticize your own government?”
He went on to cite Australia’s refugee crisis as its own human rights issue. “You are too presumptuous about looking at the Filipinos. May human rights violation kayo, mas grabe. Eh buti dito kriminal ang pinapatay ko. Kayo?” (Your human rights violations are worse. Here, I kill criminals. You?) — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

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