“I was told that I should return to the detention center as soon as possible. The baby would be left here. But I hope that I would be allowed to stay here with the baby so I could breastfeed her and take care of her.”
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Andrea Rosal, daughter of the late spokesperson of the Communist Party of the Philippine Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, gave birth to a baby girl at the Philippine General Hospital, 7:10 a.m., May 17, 2014.
Rosal’s daughter Diona Andrea weighs 2.9 kilograms.
Rosal, along with two others, was arrested on Mar. 27 in a house in Caloocan City. She was charged with kidnapping and murder, which she denied in television interviews.
On May 15, 2014, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 266 granted the petition of the then nine-month pregnant Rosal to be hospitalized until she gave birth. Her court order, which was handed to her on the same day, stipulated that she is to remain at the hospital “for a reasonable time for her to recuperate.”
Rosal expressed worries over her daughter’s health. Baby Diona Andrea is currently at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the hospital due to difficulties in breathing.
As of this writing, Diona Andrea has a respirator and an oxymeter, which monitors her oxygen level.
“It would be difficult if we would return there (at the jail). I will not recuperate there,” she told Bulatlat.com.
Rosal, too, was not feeling well after giving birth. She was feverish and had a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius at around 2:00 p.m.
“I was told that I should return to the detention center as soon as possible. The baby would be left here. But I hope that I would be allowed to stay here with the baby so I could breastfeed her and take care of her,” Rosal said.
Difficulties
Rosal said she was brought to the Philippine General Hospital on Thursday afternoon but was told by the hospital staff that they could not admit her because they do not have her medical records. Upon presenting the court order, the hospital staff agreed to check her condition.
She was brought back to Camp Bagong Diwa later that night. The next morning, however, she said she started to have contractions.
“We were supposed to leave the jail at around 8:00 p.m. but the driver was missing. So we were able to leave Camp Bagong Diwa at around 10 p.m.,” she said.
Rosal arrived at the Philippine General Hospital at around 11:30 p.m. and a few hours later, was brought to the delivery room.
Felicidad Rosal-Inandan, Rosal’s aunt, said the poor health condition of her niece and granddaughter should be blamed on the government’s order to have her arrested and detained.
“It is hot there. She could not move around. Her last two months of pregnancy was very uncomfortable for her. She could not even have a decent bath,” she said.
Inandan also questioned why they are the ones paying for her niece’s hospitalization. So far, they paid $293 down payment for the hospital room and $229 for her daughter’s admission to the hospitals’ NICU. 
