The Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday asked Congress to confer Filipino citizenship on Australian missionary Patricia Fox.
In filing House Bill 7806, The group led by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate sought to grant Filipino citizenship to Fox “to recognize and acknowledge her sacrifices in almost three decades of her selfless service to the Filipino people.
“For 27 years, Sister Pat lived with and served the farmers, indigenous peoples and other marginalized people in the communities. By living with the poor and oppressed, Sr. Pat has come to understand, experience and embrace the culture and the struggle of the poor Filipino majority,” HB 7806 says.
“Not only did she speak their language, Sister Pat was accepted by the Filipino communities and was treated as one of their own because she lives and struggles with them.”
Fox on Wednesday said she was honored by the proposal by several legislators to grant her Filipino citizenship.
She said such act from some members of the House of Representatives showed she was welcome in the Philippines.
“Actually, I feel very privileged that they would consider filing a bill that would make me a citizen because that makes me feel very accepted,” Fox said in a forum in Quezon City.
“And that has been how I always felt here, very accepted. I am very honored that they would even propose such a thing.”
The Bureau of Immigration has ordered Fox ’s deportation following her alleged participation in partisan political activities. Fox appealed the order but the bureau denied her appeal.
As far as members of the Makabayan Bloc are concerned, “the government should instead recognize and acknowledge her sacrifices in almost three decades of her selfless service to the Filipino people… instead of prosecuting and deporting Sister Pat through false charges.
“Granting Filipino Citizenship to Sister Patricia Ann Fox would be much more than a fitting recognition of her selfless service to the poor and oppressed Filipinos. It is a response to the call of many farmers, fisher folks and indigenous people whose lives were touched and helped by Sister Pat.”