MANILA, Philippines — Political prisoners support group Kapatid yesterday appealed to the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to lower the bail for activist Reina Mae Nasino and two others, describing the amount as “excessive.”
In a statement, Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim said the bail amount set by Manila RTC Branch 47 Judge Paulino Gallegos was “gargantuan” compared to the P300,000 bail paid by former first lady Imelda Marcos when she appealed her graft conviction by the Sandiganbayan.
Gallegos set bail for Nasino and her co-accused Alma Moran at P420,000 each and Ram Carlo Bautista at P570,000 as they face charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives filed against them during a crackdown on activists in 2019.
The approved amount was too hefty for the families of the detained activists to afford, Lim said.
“On behalf of their families, we appeal to the court to immediately reduce the gargantuan amount it imposed that is far beyond their capacity to pay and impairs the justness of its decision,” she added.
In his four-page order dated Monday, Gallegos found the prosecution’s evidence against the activists weak.
The judge cited the testimony of witness Cpl. Christopher Jacinto, who was tasked to take photographs of the firearms and explosives allegedly recovered at the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Manila office in Tondo on Nov. 5, 2019.
Jacinto testified that he was called to take photos of the recovered firearms and explosives only after the conduct of the search.
Barangay chairperson Jocelyn Corpuz also testified that while she “followed” the police officers during the search, she could not identify the suspects and recognize the seized firearms.
“The general testimony of witnesses Corpuz and Jacinto will not suffice to establish that indeed the evidence against the accused were strong,” Gallegos said.
The Manila court granted the bail petition three months after the Court of Appeals voided the search warrant issued by Quezon City RTC ExecutiveJudge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert against the three activists.
Nasino was pregnant at the time of her arrest. The Manila court denied her pleas to have her baby, River, stay with her. River died at three months old on Oct. 9, 2020 without her mother beside her.
The court’s denial for Nasino to be with her baby drew public outrage, which escalated when the activist was seen heavily guarded by police and in handcuffs during the baby’s wake and funeral.
Her case prompted calls for authorities to be more compassionate toward pregnant inmates and to meet the needs of nursing mothers in jails.