Detained activist and urban poor advocate Reina Mae Nasino at the burial of her 3-month-old daughter baby River at Manila North Cemetery in Manila on Oct. 16, 2020 (Image: INQUIRER/Richard A. Reyes)
Local celebrities denounced the government’s handling of Baby River’s burial, which was heavily guarded by prison guards and lawmen as her family mourned her death.
The 3-month-old infant was buried at 3 p.m. yesterday, Oct. 16, at the Manila North Cemetery, a week after she died due to gastroenteritis complications at the Philippine General Hospital.
“Was it really too much to ask to have compassion for a grieving mother?” Anne Curtis posted on Twitter yesterday, sharing a news outlet’s series of photos showing Baby River’s mother, political detainee Reina Mae Nasino, looking at the body of her daughter while being closely surrounded by police.
Television host Bianca Gonzalez echoed Curtis’ sentiments and retweeted the said post. In another tweet, Gonzalez noted that “Baby River deserved better.”
Baby River deserved better 💔
— Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) October 16, 2020
Actress Agot Isidro, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, likewise condemned the heavily guarded burial and slammed uniformed personnel for having “no compassion.”
“Puro tapang-tapangan. Walang malasakit. May araw din kayo (You can only act tough. You have no compassion. Your day will come),” Isidro said on a Twitter post of a photo showing prison guards and police officers surrounding Nasino inside the Manila North Cemetery.
Puro tapang-tapangan.
Walang malasakit.May araw din kayo. 😡 https://t.co/QooYTdtRHN
— Agot Isidro (@agot_isidro) October 16, 2020
Actor and poet Juan Miguel Severo also took to Twitter to denounce the whole ordeal, calling for #JusticeForBabyRiver and for the freedom of Nasino.
https://twitter.com/TheRainBro/status/1317017254597332992
Severo also slammed Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda, the Manila Police District (MPD) director, for claiming that activists were the ones who started the commotion during the baby’s funeral.
“Tens of people with placards is no commotion. But armed men in uniform, police cars, and a SPEEDING HEARSE with a baby’s corpse??? Iyon (That is [a commotion]),” Severo tweeted yesterday.
“Kasama si Reina sa pakikibaka, kayâ marapat lang na makidalamhati ang mga kasama. Hindi natatagpas ng paninisi ang mga sungay n’yo, demonyo (Reina is an activist herself, so it is only fitting that her fellow activists will mourn with her. Blaming them will not cut your horns, demons),” he added.
Veteran singer Leah Navarro likewise slammed the Philippine National Police (PNP) and President Duterte over the handling of Baby River’s funeral via Twitter yesterday.
“The PNP have devolved. It no longer serves and protects our people. They mirror the innate hate of their commander in chief. The agency is an embarrassment,” she said.
The PNP have devolved. It no longer serves and protects our people. They mirror the innate hate of their commander in chief. The agency is an embarrassment.
— Leah Navarro (@leahnavarro) October 16, 2020
Jasmine Curtis, meanwhile, retweeted a side-by-side photo of the burials of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and of Baby River, stressing, “I don’t understand this [sad emoji].”
I dont understand this ☹ https://t.co/raFaK8tW6C
— Jasmine Curtis-Smith (@jascurtissmith) October 16, 2020
The funeral of Baby River earlier this week also made headlines after it got “hijacked” by personnel from the MPD, as per rights group Kapatid. Just like in the burial, Nasino attended her child’s funeral in handcuffs and closely guarded by officers.
Baby River died without having been reunited with Nasino, who got separated from her on Aug. 13. She gave birth to her daughter in July.
Nasino was arrested with her two colleagues on Nov. 5, 2019, when cops from the MPD raided the office of Bayan-Manila. The activist has claimed that the “evidence” for the charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives against them were planted by the police. /ra
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