Delfin Lee falls Real estate magnate Delfin Lee is considered by authorities as one of the “Big 5’” most wanted men in the Philippines. He is now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation in Pampanga following his arrest in a five-star hotel in Manila Thursday night, March 6, 2014. Lee is facing estafa charges for defrauding Pag-IBIG Fund of P6.6 billion in housing loans. Infographics by INQUIRER.net’s Ferdinand Canoy

MANILA, Philippines–‎Fugitive real estate magnate Delfin Lee, who is embroiled in the P6.6 billion Globe Asiatique fund scam, is now detained at the National Bureau of Investigation regional office in Pampanga.

Following Lee’s arrest Thursday night at a five-star hotel in Manila, the Regional Trial Court Branch 42 of San Fernando, Pampanga, on Friday ordered Lee to be put under the custody of the NBI ‎Central Luzon Regional Office.

Lee and four others, including his son Dexter, are facing charges‎ of syndicated estafa, a non-bailable crime, in connection with two housing projects in Bacolor and Mabalacat towns in Pampanga.

“The accused has been ordered detained at NBI regional office in San Fernando as a consequence of the return of the warrant of arrest which was duly acknowledged by the court,” read the text message from the police Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, Philippine National Police Public Information Office chief,‎ relayed to reporters.

Lee’s counsel Gilbert Repizo appealed to the court that his client be detained at the NBI CELRO due to security threats.

His detention cell is inside a bungalow-type house ‎at the Capitol Compound of the NBI regional office.

The court said the pre-‎trial and arraignment of Lee will be scheduled on March 10 at 9 a.m., police said.

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