Napoles request for hospital arrest faces rough sailing

Janet Lim-Napoles. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Janet Lim Napoles will need to justify her request to be placed under hospital arrest.

“Let them prove that she [Napoles] needs to stay further at the hospital. If they failed to do so, then the court would know what to do. The court can decide to reject the motion,” Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Wednesday.

Napoles on Tuesday filed a Very Urgent Ex-Parte Motion To Observe The Status Quo Ante With Motion For Further Hospital Confinement Due to Medical Reasons before the Makati City Regional Trial Court handling the serious illegal detention case.

In her motion, Napoles, through her counsel, said that while she already has a clearance from her doctors to be discharged from hospital, she still needs to undergo weekly check-up for a month and once every two weeks for the succeeding months.

The motion further stated that Napoles still needs a sanitary, hygienic and sterile environment to fully recover.

“Napoles know that her stay at the hospital was only for a limited duration dependent on her health condition. The court gave her that privilege, the court can also decide if that confinement will continue,” De Lima said. With a report from Coleen Barnachea, OJT

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