PNP denies being lax in securing Napoles in hospital
Ospital ng Makati. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday denied that the policemen it had deployed to secure Janet Lim-Napoles at the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) were lax and were allowing “unauthorized” visitors in her ward.
Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office chief, told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview that they had not received any complaint from OsMak related to the security of Napoles, who is still confined at the hospital for vaginal bleeding.
Guarding the alleged pork barrel scam architect at OsMak are personnel from the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) Calabarzon police regional office.
“If we received any complaints, we could have acted on them,” Sindac said.
On Monday, Dr. Perry Ishmael Peralta, OsMak Medical Director, said in his court testimony that they had received reports that their policies on visiting hours and number of visitors were being violated.
Article continues after this advertisementSindac, however, said that the hospital could have informed those visitors that the patient was already stressed. “Why did they not do that?” Sindac said.
Article continues after this advertisementDr. Florentina Villanueva, one of the doctors of Napoles, also said during Monday’s hearing that the influx of visitors inside Napoles’ room might have been stressing her out.
Peralta said the OsMak’s visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with only two visitors allowed per patient at a time.
But Peralta said the hospital administration had learned that visitors who were not included in the guest list were able to enter Napoles’ ward.
Although he clarified that the OsMak is not blaming the PNP for lapses in security, Peralta stressed that it is the PNP’s duty to enforce policies insofar as the security of Napoles is concerned.
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