The nation’s hard-line president, Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of sanctioning thousands of extra-judicial killings, accused Fox of partisan political involvement. Human Rights Watch has noted that Fox’s case highlights a dangerous climate of impunity. But it also served as a warning to other foreign nationals not to speak out against the country’s catastrophic human rights violations, said Carlos Conde, a researcher with the rights’ organisation. Since April, Fox has clung on in the Philippines despite repeated attempts by immigration officials to get rid of her. Her ordeal has stirred debate in the Philippines about the wider issue of whether expatriates should be free to take a stand on human rights concerns.

Source: The Guardian November 03, 2018 02:44 UTC