On Friday, Senator Risa Hontiveros appealed to the government to exercise compassion and allow political detainee Reina Mae Casino to bid a decent farewell to her Baby River.
“The real indicator of who we are as a nation is if we can still offer even our worst critics compassion. Ibigay natin ang huling pagpapaalam sa mag-ina nang maayos,” Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee on women, said in a statement.
Reina Mae, a 23-year-old activist, was arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives. She was then separated from Baby River, who died of pneumonia on October 9.
On Wednesday, Reina Mae was allowed to attend baby River’s wake, handcuffed and heavily guarded, for just three hours.
Her quick visit to her deceased daughter was even ruined when tension escalated after the guards tried to pull her out earlier than the schedule.
“Hanggang sa burol niya, pinagkaitan ang kanyang ina. Pati ang mga huling sandali na makasama man lang ang labi niya, hindi pa maibigay,” Hontiveros said.
“Bakit pa kailangan ng 40 guwardiya para bantayan ang isang nagluluksang ina na nakaposas at ang kanyang baby na patay na?” she added.