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GOODBYE, BABY RIVER Marites Asis holds a sign as she looks at the remains of her little granddaughter Baby River Emmanuel Nasino at La Funenaria Rey in Pandacan, Manila. —RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines – Three-month-old River, the baby at the center of a court battle for the temporary release of detained leftists, died in a hospital’s intensive care unit Friday night, away from his mother’s arms. Queen Nasino. a political detainee in the Manila city jail.
The girl died of acute respiratory distress syndrome two weeks after she was admitted to the Philippine General Hospital for fever and diarrhea, according to Kapatid, a support group for the family of political prisoners.
River’s doctor said the baby’s oxygen level dropped seriously below normal and his body was no longer responding to the medications.
“His death is upon us all,” said attorney Edre Olalia. Olalia, president of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, presented a very urgent motion for leave for Nasino before the Manila court that heard the charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives against the young mother.
“Heartbreaking doesn’t even come close to that. What kind of justice system, or rather society, do we have to allow this inhumanity and injustice to the mother and child to happen? Olalia said. “Not only have we lost our hearts, we have lost our souls if we don’t feel the pain and anger. We will lose our humanity if we see more Baby Rivers again! “
Nasino, coordinator of the left-wing Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, was among the three people who were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and explosives in November 2019.
The Manila police carried out the search based on an order issued by Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert from section 89 of the Quezon City Regional Court of First Instance (RTC).
The defendants’ attorneys had previously asked the court to suppress evidence seized during the raid and overturn the search warrants, but Manila RTC Section 20 Judge Marivic Umali-Balisi rejected the motion in July for lack of merit. .
Authorities seized two hand grenades, a Bushmaster XM15 rifle, two Colt MK4 pistols, chargers and bullets, 11 cell phones, laptops and identification cards from a home that served as the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan office in Tondo, Manila.
Shortly after her arrest, Nasino gave birth to an underweight baby River at Fabella Hospital on July 1. Nasino asked the court to preside over allowing him to breastfeed the child in the hospital or the child care center of the female dormitory of the Manila city jail until the baby is one year old.
Balisi denied the motion, citing the jail director’s comment that the jail did not have facilities for the baby and that the exhausted workforce was unable to escort Nasino and his son to Fabella Hospital.
Nasino was also ordered to deliver his baby to the boy’s father or a relative. They separated on August 13 after Nasino decided to hand over Baby River to his mother.
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