‘Medical bulletins’ suggest hospital arrest for Janet Napoles

I have been practicing law for almost 50 years. This is the first time I have come across a situation where a judge has given a jailer explicit authority to bring an inmate to a medical facility in case of medical emergency.

Assuming the inmate is not malingering, common sense tells us that a jailer can seek adequate medical intervention when the need arises sans specific authorization from the court.

If I got it correctly, Janet Lim-Napoles’ camp has even submitted to the Fort Sto. Domingo SAF a “menu” or a list of the preferred hospital where the prized inmate may be rushed to in case of medical emergency.

Despite lawyer Lorna Kapunan’s protestations that hospital arrest is farthest from their minds, all the recent medical reports from Fort Sto. Domingo about Napoles’ blood pressure rising, blood sugar falling and claustrophobia are unmistakable precursors to, nay, conjured scenarios for, a hospital arrest, where she can be ensconced in comfort befitting a billionaire. All Napoles needs is to ask for hospital arrest and Judge Elmo Alameda will grant it, considering that without her asking for it, the good judge with manifest alacrity, gave her what is Philippine penology’s equivalent to a five-star detention facility, heretofore worthy only of  President Erap Estrada, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Gringo Honasan and Nur Misuari.

Speaking of which, I think St. Luke’s hospital management should begin constructing a VIP detention cell for the motley group of senators and congressmen who will be granted hospital arrest the moment they are indicted for nonbailable plunder.

The “very good lawyers” which these senators and congressmen will surely engage to defend themselves (following Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales’ exhortation) will have no difficulty in securing hospital arrest by using the Napoles blood pressure-rising, blood sugar-falling, claustrophobia template.

—CARNELL VALDEZ, [email protected]