Starlet on meeting with 'VIP' inmate: I sold real estate

MANILA, Philippines — Actress Krista Miller denied there was something suspicious about her recent meeting with a high-profile inmate from the New Bilibid Prison in a hospital room.

Miller, who was seen in a surveillance video of the Metropolitan Hospital in Manila, said in a statement Friday that she was only desperate to sell real estate to convicted drug lord Ricardo Camata.

"Real estate po ang ibinebenta ko, hindi ang sarili," she said.

"In fact, may pumasok po roong nurse at inayos ang kaniyang suwero. Ang pinag-usapan po namin ay mga condo units na inu-offer ko sa kanya," Miller added.

Saying she was not aware he was a prisoner, Miller said that she took on a "decent" second job as property agent to back her work as an actress.

"Ipinagpapatuloy ko pa rin ang pangarap kong maging artista gaya nang pagiging bahagi ko ng 'Rhodora X', hindi pa po stable ang kita ko kung 'yon ang aasahan ko," Miller said, referring to a suspense series aired on GMA Network.

"'Yon po ang dahilan kung bakit naghanap ako ng fallback career at iyon nga po ang pagiging real estate agent," she added.

Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan said Camata was allowed by Bilibid officials to leave the penitentiary for the hospital without permit from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

It was also apparent that Camata was not suffering from a medical condition that warranted his trip to a private hospital, Baraan said.

Miller also denied that she was peddling drugs to Camata

The incident was among the three recently reported cases of high-profile inmates leaving the prison compound for private hospital.

Bilibid chief Supt. Fajardo Lansangan and 12 jail guards were relieved from duty earlier this week, while the justice department ordered an investigation on so-called "VIP treatment" of select inmates inside Bilibid.

Baraan said in a radio interview on Friday that a new building is being constructed to house high-profile prisoners suspected to be given special treatment by Bilibid authorities.