Janet Lim-Napoles INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The return of Janet Lim-Napoles, the suspected pork barrel mastermind, to her detention quarters at Fort Sto. Domingo might not happen soon after her lawyers filed Wednesday a new motion in court appealing for her continued hospital stay.
This time, her counsels’ argument is her heavy bleeding, a rare complication of the surgical operation performed on her at Ospital ng Makati (Osmak).
To treat the tumors in her uterus (severe adenomyosis of the uterus with multiple adenomyomata), her doctors removed her uterus and ovaries on April 23.
Her lawyers filed the seven-page urgent motion a day after Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 ordered Napoles’ return to Fort Sto. Domingo not later than May 23.
Alameda denied Napoles’ extended hospital stay for lack of merit, noting the testimonies of the head of the hospital and her attending physicians.
In Wednesday’s motion, the lawyers asked the court to recall its order “due to a supervening event,” citing a progress report prepared by Napoles’ physicians.
Complete bed rest
According to the report, Napoles started complaining of “vaginal spotting” on May 17, which turned into vaginal bleeding two days later. Her doctors had been giving her intravenous fluid and a gram of tranexamic acid every six hours.
Napoles was also told to have complete bed rest and avoid stressful activities. “We recommend continuation of hospital stay,” said the doctors’ report, which was cited in the motion.
Two obstetrician-gynecologists from St. Luke’s Medical Center—Efren Domingo and Elsie Badillo-Pascua—who were tapped by Napoles and Dr. Florentina Villanueva, head of Osmak’s gynecology and obstetrics department, held a press briefing yesterday recommending her further stay at the hospital.
Domingo said Napoles’ “emotional and personal crisis” could have triggered the complication. He said the work she was doing to complete the affidavit to be submitted to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima could have contributed to her “stress.”
Next hearing on Friday
Judge Alameda set the hearing on the motion on Friday, 1:30 p.m.
The Philippine National Police on Wednesday said it would transport Napoles back to the detention facility in Santa Rosa City, Laguna province, within the week, unless a new court order was issued.
Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor, spokesman for PNP Director General Alan Purisima, said a police group had been tasked to devise the security plan for Napoles’ return to Fort Sto. Domingo.
“Until the court issues a new order, we will comply with its [earlier] resolution,” he added.
The 51-year-old Napoles has been confined at the hospital since March 31.
Napoles has been under police custody for serious illegal detention of her former employee, Benhur Luy, not for engineering the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. She surrendered to President Aquino in Malacañang on Aug. 28, saying she feared for her life. The President then escorted her to Camp Crame.