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Police ‘barring’ entry into Baby River’s wake ahead of burial — Kapatid

Police officers are "barring" people from entering the funeral home where the remains of the infant daughter of a jailed activist lie, a rights group said Friday.

Hours before the burial of three-month-old River Nasino, around 20 policemen were seen in front of the La Funeraria Rey in Pandacan, Manila, said the prisoner rights advocacy group Kapatid.

"They are barring people from entering and they are depriving people from seeing Baby River one last time," Kapatid said.

River was the firstborn of Reina Mae Nasino, a 23-year-old urban poor organizer detained at the Manila City Jail on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Mother and daughter were separated weeks after River was born. River died of pneumonia last October 9 without seeing her mother again.

Nasino was allowed a few hours to visit her daughter's wake last Wednesday  handcuffed and under heavy guard — treatment that her lawyers said was "overkill." She will be allowed to go out of jail again on Friday afternoon for River's burial.

Kapatid urged the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Philippine National Police to let Nasino "grieve in peace" without interference this time.

"We hope that what transpired last Wednesday will not happen today. You only bury your dead once. If Reina Mae wants to tightly embrace her child’s casket, let her do so. If she wants to hug her family to seek comfort, let her do so," said Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim.

"These are little things compared to what this government did to her,” she said.

Nasino's supporters have complained about how her escorts treated her last Wednesday. They said Nasino's guards flanked her at all times, kept her in handcuffs for most of the visit, and tried to whisk her away when she was being interviewed by reporters.

"This government allowed big names multiple furloughs. Give Reina Mae a calm three hours. Extending a little compassion to a grieving mother who will never see her child again after this day would not hurt," said Lim. 

Sought for comment, Manila police's Station 10 commander Police Colonel Jurits Rara confirmed that over 20 were deployed for the burial of Nasino's daughter.

Rara claimed that Nasino's supporters were blocking the child's coffin and that they were starting tension.

"Mayroon kasing dumating na mga supporters nila na may balak manggulo. Actually po noong nilabas na namin 'yung karo, talagang nagproprovoke sila at gusto nilang harangan," Rara told GMA News Online.

"Kaya tamang-tama lang na marami tayong pulis para hindi sila... para ma-clear 'yung area para makalusot 'yung karo," he added. — with Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News