Philippines: anger over the death of a baby separated from his imprisoned mother

The death of a three-month-old baby separated from his imprisoned mother despite pleas to keep the couple together has shocked the Philippines, reports Preeti Jha of the BBC.

Reina Mae Nasino, a human rights worker, did not know she was pregnant when she was arrested last year in Manila. She attributed her missed period to the stress of a nightly police raid in which she was arrested, along with two fellow activists.

It was only during a medical examination in prison that the 23-year-old discovered she was in her first trimester.

The death of Ms. Nasino’s newborn last week, less than two months after the baby was removed from her care, has raised questions about the treatment of Filipino mothers in custody, as many expressed anger at the justice system for failing the child.

A challenging birth

Ms Nasino, who worked for the urban poverty group Kadamay, was arrested in November 2019 with two fellow activists after police raided an office where they lived at the time.

They were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives, charges that all three have denied. They say the authorities laid the ammunition amid a growing crackdown on left-wing activists.

• ‘My face was on a wanted poster’

Despite the circumstances, Ms. Nasino “was very excited to be a mother,” said her attorney Josalee Deinla. She was prepared for the challenge of giving birth in custody and aware that the legal procedures would likely be lengthy.

But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the Philippines, their concerns grew rapidly. The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, a legal aid group representing Ms. Nasino, filed a series of motions calling for her release.

The first in April called for the temporary release of 22 political prisoners most vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus, including Ms Nasino. Subsequent motions asked the court to allow the activist and her baby to remain together in the hospital or the Manila city jail, where she was being held.

“We were surprised that the court denied such a statement. The judge only needed to consider the motions from her own human perspective. But, sadly, compassion and mercy did not extend to mother and child,” Ms. Deinla said.

Assembly pleas

River Masino was born on July 1. Her birth weight was low, but after a few days, she and Ms. Nasino returned to the Manila City Jail, where they were kept in a makeshift room reserved for them.

Under Philippine law, a child born in custody can stay with the mother only for the first month of his life, although exceptions can be made. By comparison, children born to detained mothers in Malaysia can stay with them until the age of three or four. In the UK, mother and baby units allow women to keep their babies until they are 18 months old.

The activists insisted on pressuring the authorities to release Ms Masino and her baby.

“We would tie blue ribbons to the doorposts of the Supreme Court. They represented River, the essence of life. We placed candles outside. But they did not listen,” said Fides Lim, who runs Kapatid, an advocacy group. of relatives and friends of political prisoners in the Philippines.

Ms. Nasino’s mother, assisted by Kapatid, also handed over photos and letters to the authorities almost every week, calling for her daughter’s release.

“We knew how important it was for baby River to be breastfed,” said Lim, who has also been campaigning for the urgent release of her husband, a 70-year-old political prisoner.

The hospital where Ms. Nasino gave birth recommended that the baby be kept with her mother, said Nasino’s attorney, Ms. Deinla. “But the prison authorities said they lacked resources. They came up with many excuses, violating the girl’s right to breast milk from her mother,” he said.

According to the “Bangkok Rules”, UN guidelines for the treatment of female prisoners, decisions about when a child is separated from its mother must be based on the best interests of the child.

It was not possible to obtain an immediate response from the Philippine prison authorities.

The separation

On August 13, baby River was separated from her mother. Ms. Nasino was “inconsolable,” Ms. Deinla said. “She didn’t want to give up her baby. In fact, she was begging to be allowed to stay longer.”

Due to Covid-19 rules restricting access to prisoners, Ms. Deinla and her colleagues have only been able to stay in contact with Ms. Nasino by phone.

Baby River’s health began to deteriorate the following month, according to Ms. Lim. The newborn had been handed over to the care of her grandmother, Ms. Nasino’s mother, who told the support group that the family was “very concerned that the baby was having diarrhea,” Ms. Lim said.

Calls to reunite the mother and child became more urgent when River was hospitalized on September 24 and her condition worsened. But Ms. Nasino was still not allowed to see her baby.

Last week, River died of pneumonia, just over three months. His death has shocked many in the Philippines, where tributes and condolences flowed on social media.

Many have also expressed anger at the justice system, and some have compared the recent clemency granted to a U.S. Marine convicted of killing a transgender woman in the Philippines to the court’s refusal to allow Ms. Nasino to see her. dying baby. “* Selective * justice is served,” wrote one Twitter user.

Others highlighted the difference in the way the young activist was treated compared to high-profile and wealthier prisoners who have been allowed temporary release to attend events such as their children’s weddings or graduations.

Earlier Tuesday, a local court granted Ms. Nasino a three-day license, starting Wednesday, to attend her daughter’s wake and funeral. Later that day, prison officials attempted to shorten the length of his compassionate release.