Court shortens time for jailed activist to visit baby’s wake, burial

A judge at the Manila Regional Trial Court has shortened the time it gave a jailed activist to visit her dead infant child's wake and burial.

From three days, Reina Mae Nasino's furlough is reduced to two days -- October 14 and 16 -- and only from 1 to 4 p.m. on each day, said Kapatid, an organization that supports detained activists.

Judge Paulino Gallegos shortened the furlough Wednesday, one day after the warden of the Manila City Jail Female Dormitory wrote him a letter saying the jail lacks personnel who will escort Nasino to and from the wake and burial.

Gallegos called for a hearing Wednesday morning, in which jail authorities opposed Nasino's furlough also for health reasons, according to Kapatid.

"They are saying that they do not have the facility. Afraid, they said baka kung anong dala niya pagbalik. They are saying now that once lang siyang pwedeng lumabas," Kapatid said in a statement.

The organization said Nasino's lawyers countered that the jail has an isolation facility and that the pandemic does not deprive people of their basic rights.

According to Kapatid, prosecutors said they will not object to the shortened furlough.

"This is injustice! If the government, through BJMP, was able to give big names in politics the privilege to be at their respective family events, the same should be given to Reina Mae," Kapatid said.

"Equity and compassion, simple humanity, should be standard to all. Her being an activist does not make her less of a human being... She deserves to stay at her child's side until burial," the group said. 

Nasino lost her three-month-old daughter, River, to pneumonia last October 9, weeks after they were ordered separated by another judge, who had also sided with the warden's argument that the jail has no facility for newborn babies.

River is set to be buried on Friday, October 16. — RSJ, GMA News