Security arrangement in Baby River’s wake ‘not an overkill’–DILG exec

Detained activist and urban poor advocate Reina Mae Nasino visits the wake of her 3-month-old daughter River at La Funeraria Rey in Pandacan, Manila, on Wednesday, October 14, 2020. The Manila Regional Trial Court granted Nasino a furlough to see her baby for the last time, however, reducing her original request of three straight days to only two days October 14 and 16, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — The number of security personnel deployed for the wake of River, the three-month-old daughter of detained activist Reina Mae Nasino, was not an “overkill” and was only in anticipation of the people who will be attending the funeral, an official from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Friday.

“The security arrangement is just proper because of the issue at hand and hindi naman po ito overkill. It’s more of anticipative rather than overkill. Buti na yung medyo prepared po tayo sa maaring mangyari kaysa hindi po tayo preparado, eksakto lang po yun,” DILG undersecretary Epimaco Densing said in a televised briefing.

(The security arrangement is just proper because of the issue at hand and this is not an overkill. It’s more of anticipative rather than overkill. It’s better that we’re prepared for what could happen, it was just enough.)

Densing said the number of security personnel who escorted Nasino at her baby’s wake was intended to ensure that health protocols were followed considering her case has become a “major public issue.”

“It’s a major public issue, kailangan lang po dagdagan ng kaunti yung ating regular security na binibigay sa mga ganyan. Especially po ang binabantayan natin dyan, hindi lang actually security, pati po yung paninigurado ng health protocols po ay nasusunod,” he said.

(It’s a major public issue. We just need to add a little to our regular security. Especially that we’re not only guarding their security but also ensuring that health protocols are being followed.)

Tension erupted during Nasino’s first visit to her daughter’s wake on Wednesday after her guards blocked her from being interviewed by members of the media.

The National Union of People’s Lawyers said they are eyeing to file complaints against the police personnel involved in the tension.