MANILA, Philippines — Detained businesswoman Janet Napoles, the alleged brains behind the P10 billion pork scam, will continue to appear before the Sandiganbayan regarding her plunder and graft cases.
The Third Division of the anti-graft court, chaired by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, denied Napoles' lawyers' request to waive her court appearance during the proceedings.
In a recent resolution, the tribunal found no basis to allow her to skip the bail hearings, noting that she is required to attend the proceedings until the case is finally resolved.
Her lawyers filed motion to ask the court to excuse Napoles due to her mental and physical fatigue every time she is escorted from her detention cell at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City to the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City.
They also maintained that Napoles is still recovering from her medical operation last April at the Ospital ng Makati where doctors removed both of her ovaries.
Napoles is also facing the same charges before the First and Fifth Divisions of the anti-graft court.
VIEW: Previous updates on the pork barrel scam