SC halts Pasig ruling, allows DOJ probe on Delfin Lee

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court 2nd Division issued a temporary restraining order against a ruling of the Pasig Regional Trial Court that prevented preliminary probe on Delfin Lee's syndicated estafa case.

In issuing the halt order on Monday, the high court allowed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to to look into alleged crimes of Lee, a recently arrested fugitive believed to have defrauded the Pag-IBIG Fund of P6.6 billion.

With the TRO in place, DOJ can resume preliminary investigation on the second, third and fourth batches of the syndicated estafa complaint against Lee.

The high tribunal's decision similarly stops the Court of Appeals' previous ruling clearing Lee and recalling the arrest warrant against him.

The TRO, however, does not cover similar cases against Lee pending before the Pampanga Regional Trial Court.

Lee is detained at the National Bureau of Investigation in San Fernando City, Pampanga and was nabbed last Friday in a hotel in Manila.

Lee's camp also filed a petition on Monday for habeas corpus that sought his immediate release before the Court of Appeals on Monday.

In the plea, Lee, through his lawyer Gilbert Repizo, argued that his arrest is "illegal" as he was previously cleared by the Court of Appeals.

"There is likewise no TRO or injunction issued by the Supreme Court to stop the immediate recall, quashal and lifting of the warrant of arrest against herein petitioner," the petition stated. - with Edu Punay and PNA