MANILA, Philippines — Activist Reina Mae Nasino and two others have asked a Manila court to cut their bail bonds by half, arguing that their inability to pay the “enormous” amounts render their access to temporary freedom “practically nugatory.”
Nasino and Alma Moran are being asked by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 47 to pay P420,000 each for bail, while Ram Carlo Bautista is being asked to pay P570,000 — amounts which they said they are unable to pay due to their circumstances.
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Nasino and Moran appealed to the court to reduce their bail to P210,000 each, while Bautista asked to reduce his bail to P285,000, “even as these amounts would remain to be a tremendous challenge to raise as it is.”
“As full-time human rights workers, they were earning only what was necessary for their daily sustenance. They have no other sources of income and have relied for support from their families, fellow activists, and concerned citizens. They also come from low-income, working-class families,” read their six-page motion filed Wednesday.
The activists argued that they are not flight risks as they have “strong ties to the community” being activists and they have no criminal history and other pending cases and were not fugitives when they were arrested.
They also emphasized that the evidence against them is weak, as also pointed out by the Manila court. They also said that the Court of Appeals has ruled to exclude evidence allegedly seized from them when it voided the search warrant used to raid their residences.
Nasino, Moran and Bautista were arrested in Tondo, Manila in November 2019, and were charged with illegal possession of firearms, and of explosives.
Nasino was then pregnant with River, whom she delivered in detention, but the baby died after their separation. The death of Baby River and the subsequent burial where Nasino was put in cuffs the entire time sparked condemnation from the public. — with a report from Kristine Joy Patag