MANILA, Philippines - Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles on Monday asked the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 150 to be allowed to undergo medical surgery and be confined at the St. Luke's Medical Center at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
In an 11-page "Motion to Undergo Medical Surgery and Hospital Confinement" filed through her lawyers, Fay Isaguirre Singson and Evita Magnolia Ansaldo, the businesswoman asked that she be allowed to undergo surgery at the St. Luke's Medical Center-Global to have the cyst found in her uterus removed and then be hospitalized for post-operative care.
Napoles' lawyers argued in the motion filed 5:30 p.m. Monday, that while the cyst found in the businesswoman's uterus during the examination at the Philippine National Police General Hospital is not life-threatening, they argued that her doctors have advised that it to be removed.
"While the accused-movant is thankful that her medical condition is not life-threatening as quoted in the media to be according to the PNP (Philippine National Police), the fact remains however, that as per advice of the medical doctors, there is a need to undergo for ther removal of the cyst/mass in the accused-movant's abdomen. Failing in such could lead to a more serious health problem , which is stated earlier as hemmorhage or loss of blood resulting to anemia, which in turn, is fatal," said the motion.
Napoles' lawyers in their motion also requested that the surgery be done at the St. Luke's Medical Center-Global as the hospital has the most advanced medical equipment in the country and technology such as robotic and minimal invasive surgery.
The lawyers added that Napoles' trusted and personal obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Elsie Badillo-Pascua also works at the St. Lunke's Global and that she has the right to choose the hospital where to udergo a medical treatment and the physician to perform the procedure.
The lawyers also argued that there is an underlying gender issue in the kind of procedure that Napoles will be undergoing.
"It is her reproductive organs that will be the subject of the medical operation. Only women suffer heavy menstrual bleeding. Only women can undergo total hysterectomy. Thus, even on this point lone, Accused-movant is begging for the gender sensitivity of thisnhonorsble court as well as that of the state prosectors," the motion said.
The court has set for hearing on Napoles' motion at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Clerk-ofcourt Diosfa Valencia said the court still has to hear the opinions of doctors before arriving at a decision on Napoles' motion.
Napoles underwent a transvaginal ultrasound at the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City to check on a cyst suspected to be on her ovary last February 26.
After the check-up, PNP Health Services director Chief Superintendent Alejandro Advincula said the cyst was not in Napoles' ovary but in her uterus.
PNP-General Hospital OB-gynecologist Chief Inspector Michelle Daguno said the cyst is not life-threatening.