Controversial businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles back in prison

Manila: A controversial Filipino businesswoman, accused of being the mastermind in a scandal where senators and congressmen siphoned off millions in government funds, has been brought back to her cell after medical tests showed that the stomach pain that she experienced during a trial was not related to a tumour that she wanted removed, sources said on Friday.

Doctors prescribed pain relievers to Janet Lim Napoles after tests at the government-run Makati City’s Hospital showed that her stomach pain was not related to a suspected ovarian tumour, Dr Perry Ishmael Peralta said.

She was discharged from Makati City Hospital and escorted back to her cell in Fort Santo Domingo in southern Luzon’s suburban Laguna, Peralta said.

Napoles was brought to the hospital on Friday morning after she complained of stomach pain during a hearing at the Makati City’s regional trial court, for her petition to undergo surgery at St Luke’s Medical Centre in suburban Taguig.

“I am not feeling well,” Napoles said in court as she writhed in pain. A doctor with the Philippine National Police (PNP) who accompanied her at the trial requested the judge to allow her to be brought to a nearby hospital.

The court agreed since the doctor who was with Napoles was not a gynaecologist, the clerk of court said.

Beforer that incident, at the same hearing, the judge had told Napoles to seek treatment for a suspected ovarian tumour at a government-run hospital, not a private hospital.

But Napoles argued that she preferred to be operated on at St. Luke’s Medical Centre because her doctors and medical records were there.

“If I was not really sick I would not make this request in court,” Napoles said. “Pain relievers are no longer effective for me,” she added.

However, there were conflicting reports on the exact nature of her illness. The Southern Luzon Hospital said she was suffering from ovarian tumour.

The Philippine National Police General Hospital, which conducted tests on her, said she has a cyst in her uterus.

Whistle-blowers who worked for Napoles claimed she offered 50 per cent to senators and congressmen to approve the release of their allocated development funds to non-existent project, through non-functioning non-governmental organisations (NGO) that she had established for the scam.

She also offered 10 per cent of the money to the lawmakers’ chiefs of staff, 10 per cent to other government officials who facilitated the release of the funds, while keeping the rest for herself, the whistle blowers said.

Charges of plunder have been filed against her and several lawmakers before the Ombudsman’s office.

The large scale corruption, estimated to have reached P10 billion (Dh833.3 million) between 2003 to 2010, has angered many Filipinos.