MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III said the medical condition of suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles should be confirmed first before allowing her to be under hospital arrest.
At a televised interview with media, Aquino said it is also the government's duty to ensure the health of its prisoners.
"Obligasyon nating manigurado na 'yung mga taong nakapiit sa ating mga kulungan ay pinapangalagaan ang kalusugan. So papacheck natin kung talagang meron siyang medical na reason," Aquino said.
The President's statement came after Napoles, through her lawyer, asked a local court in Makati City for confinement and comprehensive medical examination at the St. Luke's Hospital in Taguig City due to possible ovarian tumor.
Lawyer Fay Isaguirre Singson said in their four-page "Urgent Motion To Conduct Medical Examination" that Napoles was once rushed to the emergency room of the Southern Luzon Hospital and Medical Center due to severe abdominal pains.
Singson said Napoles had also been complaining of profuse menstrual bleeding for nine consecutive days.
Read: Napoles asks for hospital confinement due to 'ovarian tumor'
Aquino said the court will decide on where Napoles would be sent.
He added that according to some camps, Napoles should be placed in a regular cell since there seems to be no threat to her life after she declined to spill the beans regarding the pork barrel scam during her Senate testimony.
Napoles is facing charges for allegedly operating a multi-billion-peso scam that diverted lawmakers' pork barrel funds to fake non-government organizations that she supposedly created.
After hiding for a while, the businesswoman personally surrendered to the President at the Malacañang Palace, claiming that there are threats to her life.
She remains detained at the Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
During her much awaited testimony at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last December , Napoles denied all the allegations hurled against her and simply invoked her right against self-incrimination.