MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte can only respect the decision of authorities to deploy 43 security personnel for the burial of River, the three-month-old daughter of detained activist Reina Mae Nasino, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after Vice President Leni Robredo and various groups criticized the response of the authorities during Baby River’s funeral.
“In matters of securing an accused facing a non-bailable offense, the President can never substitute his judgment from that of the commander on the ground,” Roque said in a Palace press briefing.
Robredo said there was a lack of humanity by members of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) who escorted Nasino.
Roque pointed out that Duterte does not “micro-manage”.
“We respect po whatever decision of the commander may have been on the ground. If he felt that such security arrangement was necessary, so be it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Roque also distanced himself from remarks made by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spokesperson Celine Pialago on the plight of Nasino.
Pialago drew flak over the weekend due to a Facebook post where she said that not all mothers who are detained can join their children’s burials.
She said Nasino’s supporters should scrutinize who the detained activist is.
“Tingin ko po, personal na opinyon niya ‘yan. Hindi naman po kasi related sa MMDA yung issue na ‘yan so hayaan po natin na magkaroon ng personal opinion si Spokesperson Pialago (I think that’s her personal opinion. That issue is not related to MMDA so let’s allow Spokesperson Pialago to have her personal opinion),” Roque said.
MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia echoed Roque’s statement.
Earlier, Roque said the Palace is saddened by the death of Baby River due to acute respiratory distress syndrome last Oct. 9.
Nasino was originally granted a continuous three-day furlough for the wake and burial, but a Manila court cut it to six hours spread over two days, for three hours each due to inadequate manpower to guard the activist.
She was arrested in November 2019 after police reportedly found her and two other activists with firearms and explosives at the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Manila Office in Tondo, Manila.
Nasino was separated from her child a month after she gave birth on July 1, eight months after her arrest.