Lawyer: Napoles turned off by broken equipment in public hospital

Alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles was initially amenable to confinement at a public hospital, but an experience with a broken equipment changed her mind.

According to Napoles' lawyer Fay Isaguirre Singson, the alleged architect of the pork barrel scam changed her mind after a visit to Ospital ng Makati on Friday.

“Sa katunayan, pumayag na si Mrs Napoles sa Ospital ng Makati. Mangyari po lamang habang nanduon kami kaninang hapon, we wanted to take the opportunity that she was in the hospital, she asked for an MRI, ang kaso sira ang kanilang makina,” Singson said in an interview on GMA News TV's “QRT.”

Napoles, currently detained in connection with a separate case, has a pending motion in court asking to be allowed to undergo surgery in St. Luke's Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig to remove a cyst in one of her ovaries.

Singson said Napoles' previous experience at Philippine National Police General Hospital, a government facility that conducted a test on her, made her insist before the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 that her surgery be done in St. Luke's, which has modern medical equipment.

“So ganun na naman ang nangyari, nasa ospital siya kung saan pumayag siya para masuri ang kanyang karamdaman pero wala nga pong gamit. May mga test na nagawa sa kanya and we are grateful na napagbigyan ang kahilingan na maidaan siya kaninang hapon [sa ospital] pero hindi pa rin po kumpleto kasi wala ngang MRI, sira daw po,” said Singson.

In a motion to undergo medical surgery and confinement filed earlier this month, Napoles specifically asked the court to allow her to be operated and confined at St Luke's-Global “and not at any government facility.”

Picky with doctors

Singson said Napoles is also picky with the doctors who will treat her as she does not want a repeat of what happened to her mother.

“Sa takot niya sa nararamdaman niya at hindi siya nagtitiwala sa doktor, meron siyang karanasan na yung mother niya namatay sa isang ospital kaya she wanted to be really sure kung sino yung pipiliin niyang doktor,” she said.

Singson said they are hopeful that the motion to undergo medical surgery will be granted by the court.

“Yung aming motion ay submitted na at puno po kami ng pag-asa na na ang kahilingan ni Mrs. Napoles ay mapagbibigyan,” she said.

Decision out next week

Makati RTC Branch 150 clerk of court Diosfa Valencia said Judge Alameda will most likely issue the resolution next week.

“Bigyan niyo si Judge until next week dahil marami pa siyang babasahing transcript. Hindi lang naman iisa ang witness," she told reporters.

She added that if ever the court would allow the surgery, it would be at Ospital ng Makati.

"Hindi naman nag-oppose ang prosecution. Even the patient considered it," she said.

She added that Napoles' doctors can also be brought to Ospital ng Makati upon arrangement with the hospital's medical director.

Napoles is currently detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, in connection with a serious illegal detention case, which is non-bailable.

She is also facing plunder charges at the Ombudsman for allegedly masterminding a P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Through her non-government organizations, Napoles allegedly funneled lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund—commonly known as pork barrel—to nonexistent projects. — Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News