Court grants Judilyn Oliveros' plea to breastfeed child outside jail

Free the 43 Health Workers! Alliance today announced that the lower court has finally granted Carina Judilyn Oliveros' plea to breastfeed her month-old son outside Camp Bagong Diwa.

In a decision issued yesterday, Presiding Judge Gina F. Cenit-Escoto of the Morong Regional Trial Court Branch 78 ruled that mother and baby be allowed to stay at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) on the basis filed by Oliveros' legal counsels stating that allowing accused to breastfeed her infant in PGH would substantially serve the purpose of their original Motion for Release on Recognizance for Humanitarian Reasons. The order further stated that the grant of the instant motion would result to avoidance of any harm and danger that the child may suffer while in Camp Bagong Diwa, including the unjust incarceration of the said child in a detention facility.

Oliveros will be allowed to stay in Philippine General Hospital for a period of three (3) months. This is a positive development for Judilyn's plea and the case of the Morong 43 as a whole, Carlos Montemayor, spokesperson of the alliance said.Montemayor added that though they are disappointed that the court did not grant Oliveros plea for a 6-month period to stay at the PGH, they are still relieved that Judge Cenit-Escoto ruled in favor of Oliveros and her baby.

This welcome development is clearly the result of the unwavering perseverance of the detainees, their families and supporters to further the call to free the Morong 43. We also hope that Mercy Castro, one of the 43 detained health workers, due to give birth on October, would not have to suffer the ordeal that Judilyn and her baby experienced. We continue to challenge President Noynoy Aquino to prove that he is sincere in upholding justice and democracy by releasing the Morong 43 and all political prisoners in the country, Montemayor concluded.##

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• Court orders transfer of 'Morong 43' member to PGH
• Court OKs hospital arrest for ‘Morong 43’ detainee

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Reference:
Carlos Montemayor, RN
Cellphone Number: 0922 499 6237