Warden seeks shorter time for jailed activist to see her dead baby

The warden of the Manila women's jail is seeking a shorter furlough for an inmate who was allowed by the court to see and bury her infant daughter.

Jail Chief Inspector Maria Ignacia Monteron, officer-in-charge of the Manila City Jail Female Dormitory, wrote Judge Paulino Gallegos saying the jail does not have enough personnel to escort the detainee, Reina Mae Nasino, for three days.

Nasino lost her firstborn, three-month-old River, to pneumonia last October 9, weeks after they were ordered separated. Gallegos on Tuesday morning granted her motion to be allowed to attend the child's wake and burial.

But the jail warden's letter prompted the judge to call for another hearing on Wednesday, which was supposed to be the start of Nasino's three-day-furlough until River's burial on Friday, October 16.

Monteron said the jail has only 12 personnel serving as "outside force," or those who coordinate with other agencies, turn over released inmates to their barangays, and escort other inmates who need to be hospitalized. She said the facility has 665 inmates.

"We are also saddened with the death of Baby River Nasino. We sympathized what PDL (person deprived of liberty) Nasino feels these hard times of her life. But we cannot compromise the security and safety of other PDL who are still seeking for our assistance," she wrote.

She asked the court to allow Nasino to visit her daughter's wake only on October 14, Wednesday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and to attend the burial at the Manila North Cemetery on October 16.

She cited the operations manual of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology as saying that inmates who are permitted to visit a deceased relative's wake should stay for no longer than three hours and should not be allowed to join the funeral procession.

Nasino's lawyers and supporters condemned the warden's request.

"With the resources of government, does it need an army to escort a grieving mother in deep bereavement and treat her like a hardened armed and dangerous serial criminal?" said National Union of Peoples' Lawyers president Edre Olalia.

He said the warden's claim of lack of personnel cannot supersede the court's order.

Kapatid, an organization that supports Nasino and other jailed activists, pointed out that then-detainees former presidents Estrada and Macapagal Arroyo had enjoyed much longer furloughs for the holidays.

"There is no reason why the BJMP and the government cannot allow just a mere three days to Reina Mae so she can be at her baby's side until burial," Kapatid said in a statement.

"Equity and compassion, simple humanity, should be standard to all," it said.

Nasino, an activist, is detained on charges of illegal possession of firearms. Her camp calls the accusation fabricated. — BM, GMA News