'Bleeding' Napoles eyes longer stay at Makati hospital

MANILA, Philippines - The lawyers of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles are set to ask the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 to allow her to stay longer at the Ospital ng Makati (Osmak).

According to lawyer Bruce Rivera, the businesswoman has been bleeding. The bleeding began three days ago but the businesswoman only revealed it to her lawyers recently, said Rivera.

"Three days ago pa. But she did not tell us kasi akala niya normal. Nabigla kami lahat sa pangyayari kaya magfile kami ng motion," Rivera told the Star.

On Tuesday, the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 150 denied for lack of merit the motion filed by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles asking for an extended stay at the Osmak.

In his two-page order, Judge Elmo Alameda also ordered the director of the Police Regional Office 4A to provide the needed security personnel and escort Napoles from the Osmak to her place of detention at the Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna no later than Friday (May 23).

Napoles has been confined at the Osmak since March 31. She was operated on April 23 and had a uterine cyst removed along with her uterus and two ovaries.

"By this time, her attending physicians may have already completed the once-a-week post operative check-up for the first month including psychological examination" said Judge Alameda in his order.

Alameda also took into consideration yesterday's court testimony of Chief inspector Magnolia Ruth Priscilla Bermudez, police medical officer assigned at Fort Sto. Domingo that Napoles' succeding check-ups could be done at the police camp.

"As a preventive measure, the court directed Dr. Bermudez to take all precautionary measures to prevent the patient from contracting infection by seeing to it that she will not be exposed to elements like dirty environment and to make her comfortsble ad possibe," the order added.

The court subpoenaed Bermudez after Napoles’ earlier doctors told the court that Napoles should not be exposed to  “warm and dirty environments” during her recovery period and after discharge from the Osmak. Exposure to such a condition, according to Napoles’ doctor, Efren Domingo, could leave Napoles vulnerable to infection.

In a previous hearing, Napoles’ doctors told the court that Napoles has been “medically discharged” from the Osmak following her surgery to remove a cyst from her uterus last April 23.

“We have issued her discharge. Meaning, she does not need hospitalization,” said Domiongo.

Domingo added that he is in favor of allowing Napoles to stay for at least three more months at the Osmak or any other tertiary hospital for her series of post-operative check-ups.

Domingo added that it is ideal that the check-ups on Napoles be done at the hospital or at their clinics in St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global. However, he also said that he could visit Napoles at her detention place in Fort Sto. Domingo, provided that his security will be assured.

“We don’t know the conditions at Fort Sto. Domingo. We are afraid for our security as Mrs. Napoles is a detainee,” he said.

“We recommend that she sees us at our clinics or we see her at a hospital. We are willing to go to Fort Sto. Domingo provided we are assured of our safety,” he added.

Osmak medical director Perry Peralta meanwhile told the court that Napoles could be discharged even without paying her hospital bills which had ballooned to P105,000 as of early this week as she could present a promissory note.

“There are no medical and administrative hindrances for her discharge,” said Peralta.

During the hearing last Tuesday, the head of Napoles' legal team, Stephen David, told the court the he intends to file a motion asking for an extended stay at the Osmak for the businesswoman.

David told Judge Alameda that Napoles needs more time at the Osmak to finish all her affidavits in connection with the "pork barrel" case.

According to David, Napoles will not be able to finish her affidavit naming at least 100 lawmakers to the pork barrel scam at the Fort Sto. Domingo.

"The people are clamoring for the truth about these 100 congressmen and senators. Just imagine how could we finish that (affidavit) if she be detained at Fort Sto. Domingo? We are not allowed to stay beyond 4:30 p.m. The documents that we will bring there will be voluminous . And considering that we have come out with a list and the amended list will be released anytime of the week. I was imploring the court that we be allowed some more time in order to finish the affidavit that will support the list that we have submittted," David later told reporters.

Prosecution lawyers during the hearing manifested that they are only willing to allow Napoles to stay at the Osmak until May 23.

Napoles’ lawyers had earlier filed a seven-page “Very Urgent Ex Parte Motion To Observe The Status Quo Ante With Motion For Further Hospital Confinement Due To Medical Reasons” with the court.

According to the motion, although Napoles’ doctors have issued a medical bulletin on May 6 advising that Napoles is now given clearance to be clinically discharged from the Osmak, she still needs to undergo checkups once a week  for one month, once every two weeks for the succeeding month, and a check up a month thereafter.

The lawyers also asked that Napoles be made to undergo complete bed rest at a place which is more “sanitized, hygienic and sterile.”