Thick barbed wires surround the roof top of Taguig City Jail-Female Dorm (TCJ-FD). It was a hot and humid afternoon and a basin atop a broken table is waiting for six-month-old baby Karl and his 3-year old brother, Mar. It was Karl and Mar’s baptism. Miradel Torres’ family, friends, and fellow political prisoners gathered as they wait for Miradel to come up.
Thick barbed wires surround the roof top of Taguig City Jail-Female Dorm (TCJ-FD). It was a hot and humid afternoon and a basin atop a broken table is waiting for six-month-old baby Karl and his 3-year old brother, Mar. It was Karl and Mar’s baptism. Miradel Torres’ family, friends, and fellow political prisoners gathered as they wait for Miradel to come up.
Karl was wearing a blue checkered polo and khaki shorts for his baptism and looked big for his age. Mar was quite shy and would always hide behind his grandmother. Karl or “Py” as he was fondly called inside the jail can now recognize faces and would cry whenever an unknown face carry him.
“He would only approach people wearing yellow because it is the only color he often sees inside the jail,” said Miradel. Yellow shirt is the required color for all the inmates at the TCJ.
Pastor Pastor Guillermo Sediarin of the United Council of Churches of the Philippines and Anna Skagersten officiated the baptism rites. In her short message, Anna said “We should all commit today to guide Karl and Mar as they grow, as they become children who fight for truth, justice, and human rights.”
After the rites, Miradel’s friends shared pansit, fish, chicken, bread and cake. Miradel and her sons had their own moment in one corner, playing, kissing, and hugging each other.
“Since I am breastfeeding him, I bring Py in my court hearings” she said. Miradel’s court hearing is four hours away from Metro Manila.
Miradel said she has slowly introduced solid food to Karl, and would often separate squash or carrots from their food ration and feed it to Karl.
Her fellow political prisoners call for her immediate release so she can take care of Karl in an environment where he can grow, play and interact with other children. The six-month-old baby has been in jail for four months now.
Miradel and son may soon be separated despite the need for continued breastfeeding. On April 13, the Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Quezon Province denied Miradel’s motion to quash the information falsely filed against her for murder and frustrated murder charges. The court gave weight on Pfc. Ronald M. Bamba’s testimony despite lack of positive identification of Torres as among those responsible for his alleged ambush. Bamba is a member of the Alpha Company of the 16th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. Torres is now awaiting the decision of the motion for reconsideration she filed.
Torres was arrested on June 20, 2014 while she was profusely bleeding due to threatened abortion. She gave birth to Karl on November 19, 2014 at the Philippine General Hospital.
It was almost past visiting hours and all the visitors were asked to leave. Mar bid goodbye to his mother and gave his little brother a soft kiss on the forehead as if wishing they can finally play outside the steel bars and barbed wires.