Delfin Lee. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Real-estate magnate Delfin Lee on Friday was brought to the Pampanga Regional Trial Court (RTC) after he was arrested at a hotel in Manila.
Lee is facing syndicated estafa, a nonbailable crime, in connection with two housing projects in Pampanga province.
The Pampanga court ordered Lee’s arrest for allegedly defrauding Pag-Ibig Fund by using fake borrowers and fake documents.
Radio reports said the Philippine National Police (PNP) decided to bring Lee to the San Fernando court since his camp questioned the validity of his arrest.
Lee’s legal counsel, meanwhile, filed an Ex-Patre Motion for the Immediate Release of Lee before RTC Branch 42, claiming that his arrest was not valid.
San Fernando RTC Executive Judge Edgar Chua gave five days to the public prosecutor to comment on the urgent motion for the release of Lee.
The case stemmed from the alleged use of fictitious members of Pag-Ibig Fund, or Home Development Mutual Fund, to defraud the agency of P7 billion in housing loans to be used in GlobeAsiatique’s projects in Bacolor and Mabalacat towns in Pampanga from 2008 to 2011.
In March last year, Judge Reyes issued a hold-departure order to stop Lee, Christina Sagun, Dexter Lee, Cristina Salagan and Pag-Ibig Fund lawyer Alex Alvarez from fleeing the country.
Lee was reported to have been cleared by the Court of Appeals, but Martinez said the Pampanga court had not lifted the warrant for the fugitive’s arrest.
Lee was in a meeting with his lawyer and business associates at the hotel lobby when he was arrested
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