The Office of the Ombudsman has junked the complaints filed by activist Reina Nasino against jail and police officials over their alleged “cruelty.”
The respondents included the heads of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the Manila Police District (MPD), the Manila City
Jail Female Dormitory (MCJFD), and several police and jail officers.
They are accused of mental or psychological torture and maltreatment of prisoners, among other allegations, a GMA News report said, The Ombudsman, however, ruled that there was no substantial evidence against the respondents. “The criminal and administrative charges against all respondents are
dismissed for lack of probable cause and substantial evidence, respectively,” the Ombudsman ruling, quoted by GMA News, said.
MCJFD Officer-in-Charge Ignacia Monteron, mea while, got a penalty of “reprimand” for violating the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009.
“This Office finds that respondent Monteron violated Section 1 in relation to Section 21 of the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009, for failing to establish a lactation station within the MCJFD,” the Ombudsman’s ruling read.
“As to the other charges, there is no probable cause that any of the respondents committed the crimes charged. They neither imposed a punishment not authorized by the regulations nor inflicted (authorized) punishment in a cruel and humiliating manner,” added the Ombudsman’s decision.
Nasino had just given birth to a baby girl named ‘River’ when she was arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives in July 2020, reports said.
Despite her appeal to stay with the child for a year so she could breastfeed, a court ordered her to be separated from her daughter. The child was hospitalized after the separation and died of pneumonia three months later.
Nasino was initially allowed a three-day furlough to attend the child’s wake and burial but ended up with only six hours after Monteron told the court that the city jail does not have enough personnel to escort the detainee.
Nasino would be closely guarded by dozens of jail and police officers, some with high-powered firearms, at the wake and the burial.
She also remained in handcuffs for most of the furlough.