Napoles to stay at Ospital ng Makati at least three more weeks – lawyer

Alleged pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles may stay at government-run Ospital ng Makati for three more weeks after an operation to remove her ovaries and uterus.

Napoles' legal counsel Faye Isaguirre-Singson on Sunday said her client will be at the hospital for three more weeks "at the minimum" to recuperate.

"Kumikirot [sa ngayon] 'yung sugat, 'yung tahi tapos namamanhid 'yung paligid ng sugat," she said.

"The doctors said that she needs a check up once a week for three weeks, so she may stay there for three weeks at the minimum," she said.

She said, however, that "it is still subject to other physical conditions that she may have."

Isaguirre-Singson said Napoles is "okay", but that her wound from the operation hurts when making slight movements.

Meanwhile, Bruce Rivera, another Napoles lawyer, said her release from the hospital will depend on her doctors.

Napoles went through a total hysterectomy on April 23 after cysts were found in her uterus. The Makati court that gave her permission to undergo surgery said the detained businesswoman will have to pay her own medical bills.

Napoles has been tagged in media reports as the pork barrel scam queen as she allegedly funneled lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund, commonly referred to as pork barrel, to 'ghost' projects using her bogus non-government organizations.

Napoles, together with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla, is facing plunder raps at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Before her operation, Napoles met with Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to ask to be included in the Witness Protection Program. She has promised to tell all that she knows about the supposed scam.

De Lima has said the Justice department still has to evaluate Napoles' statements but has said that these do not contradict earlier statements given by whistleblowers, including former employees of Napoles' JLN Corp. — JDS, GMA News