No one deserves injustice suffered by jailed activist-mom, NUPL tells Pialago

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) would never wish the “horrible tragedy” that befell jailed activist Reina Mae Nasino and her baby River upon anyone, its president Edre Olalia said Sunday following a government official’s controversial post.

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spokesperson Celine Pialago had earlier told the public to stop sympathizing with Nasino, who was given only six hours to attend her three-month-old firstborn’s wake and burial by a Manila court.

“‘Yung mga sumisimpatya kay Reina Mae Nasino, pag-aralan niyo mabuti ang dahilan bakit siya nakulong at kilalanin niyong mabuti kung sino siya sa lipunan. Masyado ninyong ginagawang pang drama serye sa hapon ang paghihinagpis niya. Tigilan niyo!" Pialago said in a Facebook post.

She said it was her personal opinion as a Filipino citizen even as she published the post on her public page bearing her title of MMDA spokesperson.

“We assure the good Asec (assistant secretary) that we will do the same thing if she was in Ina's position and circumstance,” Olalia said in a response. 

“To start with, we will never ever wish this horrible tragedy and injustice to visit the Asec, her mother, her daughters, her sisters and her aunts,” he added.

Pialago’s post has earned her widespread condemnation across social media platforms.

No less than Vice President Leni Robredo pointed out that prominent public officials were not as heavily guarded during their furloughs as Nasino was. 

The urban poor organizer was kept handcuffed throughout her baby’s wake and burial. 

The Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier defended the police presence at the burial as “anticipative” and not “overkill” as several critics had described it. 

Nasino is facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives, which her camp has said were fabricated in a bid to silence dissenters. — BM, GMA News