DoJ asked to stop trip of Globe Asiatique owner to US

MANILA, Philippines—The Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) has asked the Department of Justice to deny the request of Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee to leave for the United States to undergo medical treatment.

In a report to Vice President Jejomar Binay, Pag-IBIG chief executive officer Darlene Berberabe said proof of a life-threatening medical condition had yet to be presented by Lee, who is facing charges of syndicated estafa (fraud) in connection with Pag-IBIG loans in Central Luzon.

Binay is chair of both the Pag-IBIG board of trustees and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

“It is most respectfully prayed of [the DoJ] to deny respondent Lee’s motion for issuance of Authority to Travel for utter lack of merit,” Pag-IBIG said in its motion filed before the DoJ last week.

The agency said that Lee failed to present a medical certificate issued by a licensed physician on the “exceptional reasons” for undergoing medical treatment abroad.

Lee said he needed to leave for the US on May 4 to undergo medical treatment and would return on May 21.

Lee is currently facing three charges of syndicated estafa constituting economic sabotage, which is a non-bailable offense, the agency said.

Earlier, the DoJ concluded its clarificatory hearings where Pag-IBIG claimed that Lee had operated a “modified Ponzi” scheme to allegedly siphon up to P6.6 billlion from the Pag-IBIG Fund to develop its Xevera projects in Pampanga province.