Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 18) — The Bureau of Immigration is determined to uphold its order to cancel a Dutch missionary’s permanent visa amid protests from labor groups, while reminding foreigners not to engage in political activities in the country.
The bureau said it received “reliable information from government intelligence sources” that labor rights advocate Otto Rudolf De Vries, a Dutch national, had joined a political rally. He was also added to the bureau’s blacklist of undesirable aliens.
“Foreign nationals, regardless of their visa type, may not engage in partisan political activities,” said Immigration commissioner Jaime Morente on Thursday.
The Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research, a labor rights organization affiliated with De Vries, said it received the letter from the bureau regarding De Vries’ visa cancellation on Feb. 3. The letter allegedly included a quote from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency accusing the institute of being a front organization for communists, an allegation it firmly denied.
“EILER is an established non-profit, non-governmental organization that has tirelessly advanced labor education, research, capacity-building, campaigning and advocacy work since 1981,” the institute said.
Last year, NICA was accused of spreading false information on social media by linking opposition lawmakers to terrorist groups.
EILER denounced the government’s red-tagging of De Vries, who has been engaging with workers and raising awareness about their issues for the past 30 years. Defend Jobs Philippines also stood by De Vries.
“Sa halos tatlong dekada, ako ay pinagkalooban ng pribilehiyong mabigyan ng permanent resident visa,” said De Vries in a statement shared by EILER. “Sinasabuhay ko ang aking misyon dito sa Pilipinas at wala akong ibang hangad kundi ang ipagpatuloy ito kasama ang mga manggagawang pinagsasamantalahan.”
[Translation: In almost 30 years, I was given the privilege of having a permanent resident visa. I’m practicing my mission here in the Philippines and I do not have any other desire but to continue this alongside exploited workers.]
In 2018, controversy broke out over the arrest and deportation of Australian nun Patricia Fox due to a similar accusation. Fox was denied a visa extension and forced to leave the Philippines after participating in a rally, which she defended was not political in nature.
