Delfin Lee seeks speedy resolution of SC plea

MANILA, Philippines - Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to immediately resolve his petition questioning his indictment and arrest for syndicated estafa, which he insisted had already been dismissed by the Court of Appeals (CA). 

In a motion filed earlier this week, the detained businessman asked the high court to at least rule on his plea for temporary liberty and immediate release from the Pampanga provincial jail if it is not ready to resolve merits of his petition yet. 

Lee is currently detained at the Pampanga provincial jail on charges of syndicated estafa for allegedly defrauding the government of P6.6 billion in housing loan proceeds for home buyers, whom investigators later found to be fictitious or had incomplete documents.

His petition has been consolidated with other related petitions and transferred to the full court for resolution.    

Lee insisted that his continued detention was in violation of his constitutional rights, considering that there was no legal basis for his arrest, noting that syndicated estafa charges filed against him and his co-accused, had already been “quashed” or terminated by the CA. 

As for the SC’s temporary restraining order (TRO) on the CA decision, which was issued based on the government’s appeal, Lee said the TRO  “merely maintained the status quo, (but) it did not revive the quashed information for syndicated estafa.”

He said his “forced” arraignment for syndicated estafa on March 14 by Judge Ma. Amifaith Fider-Reyes and subsequent proceedings should be deemed void.

Prior to the issuance of the TRO by the SC last March 12, Lee noted that the warrant of arrest against him was recalled and lifted by the CA and that Judge Fider-Reyes was already “directed to cease and desist from further proceeding with the case.”

Lee noted that the appellate court dismissed the case against him in late 2012, and again in 2013 with the junking of the government’s motions for reconsideration.