http://karapatan.org/Andrea+Rosal+political+prisoner+new-born+daughter+passed+away
As of 5:00 pm today 18 May, Karapatan received reports that two-day old Diona Andrea Rosal, newborn baby girl of detained Andrea Rosal, has passed away at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila. Baby Diona Andrea was brought to said hospital unit because she was suffering from hypoxemia or oxygen deficiency in the blood. Since her birth, she was on artificial respirator and experienced seizures.
Andrea Rosal was seven months pregnant when she was arrested on March 27, 2014. She was scheduled to have her pre-natal check-up when she was illegally arrested by elements of the NBI and ISAFP. Trumped up charges of murder and kidnapping were filed against her. According to reports gathered by Karapatan, she experienced premature contractions during detention.
In Camp Bagong Diwa, where she was detained since arrest, she was imprisoned in a 5×10 meter cell with 31 other inmates. She did not receive any medical attention from jail authorities during her detention in Camp Bagong Diwa. Her transfer to PGH this week, in accordance to a court order issued for her immediate hospitalization, was unreasonably delayed by authorities from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). Andrea was experiencing uterine contractions since the evening of May 15, but she was brought back and forth from Camp Bagong Diwa and the PGH because BJMP authorities said there were no available room for her. She was finally
admitted only the evening of May 16 and she finally gave birth on the morning of May 17.
Andrea’s lawyers from the National Union of People’s Lawyers have filed urgent motions for the dismissal of the fabricated charges against Andrea as well as for her immediate hospitalization since the first week of April.
“We find the BJMP authorities, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and all government agencies responsible for the illegal arrest and detention of Andrea Rosal ACCOUNTABLE for the death of Diona Andrea and the situation of Andrea. Their blatant disregard of the rights of Andrea, including her right to receive immediate medical care and be in an environment conducive for conceiving and delivering a healthy child, are apparent in this case. Ang gobyernong ito ay walang puso para sa mga ina at anak tulad ni Andrea at Diona Andrea,” [This government has no compassion at all for mothers and their babies like Andrea and Diona Andrea”], said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan.
