Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairman Chito Gascon has branded the bid to expel Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox from the country as a “human rights violation.”
Gascon made the remark during his speech at the “Solidarity with the Poor” campaign event held at the Archdiocese of Manila on Monday afternoon.
“Dapat malinaw sa atin na ang ginagawa kay Sister Pat ay paglabag sa karapatang pantao,” the CHR chair stressed.
Gascon pointed out that “the same rights we have as Filipinos are also the same rights that Sister pat is entitled to as our guest, as our visitor, as our friend.”
Among these rights, Gascon noted, were the basic fundamental rights such as the freedom of speech, freedom of association and the freedom to peaceable assembly for redress and grievance.
“Malinaw na isang tao na papayagang pumasok sa ating teritoryo, pagpasok po nila hindi po nila iniiwan ang anilang mga karapatan sa bansang pinaggalingan nila,” Gascon said.
“Ito ay bahagi ng ibang karapatan na nakalagay sa Article III (ng 1987 Constitution), kung babasahin diyan na ‘no person’ shall be denied these rights, it didn’t say ‘no citizen.’ It said ‘no person’,” he said.