Roxas denies role in delisting of Delfin Lee from wanted list

By: Julliane Love De Jesus - 11 years ago

Delfin Lee. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II clarified Tuesday that he is not, in any way, involved in the alleged removal of detained businessman Delfin Lee from the most wanted persons list.

Roxas, in a statement, said his office, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, did not receive any request from the Philippine National Police delisting Lee from the most wanted persons.

‎”Wala rin akong inaprubahan na request kaugnay sa nasabing isyu (I did not approve any request regarding the said issue),” Roxas said.

“Wala akong inutusan o pinahintulutan na tanggalin si Delfin Lee sa listahan ng mga may arrest warrant (I did not order or allow anyone to clear Delfin Lee from the list of persons with arrest warrants),” he added.

A day after Lee’s arrest last Thursday, Vice President and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-ibig) chair Je‎jomar Binay revealed that “certain influential people” attempted to stop the police from bringing in the fugitive.

Binay, ‎however, did not identify these persons.

‎Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso “Boy” Umali admitted to no less than President Benigno Aquino III that he phoned in PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima to clarify the basis of Lee’s arrest.

The local official said his action was upon the request of his acquaintance and province-mate, Lee’s counsel, Lawyer Gilbert Repizo.

Umali, who is a close ally of Aquino, is the treasurer of the Liberal Party ‎while Roxas is its president-on-leave.

Supporting Roxas’ statement, ‎Purisima said that the Interior Secretary has no role in the actual process of delisting persons from the most wanted list and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s Warrant of Arrest Information System.

“[Roxas’] role is limited in approving the names to be placed on said List, and the corresponding reward, as previously recommended by the PNP’s Reward and Valuation Committee,” he said in a statement.

The President previously placed a P2 million bounty for Lee’s arrest.

The PNP chief said the matter did not even reach the office of Roxas, adding that it remained at the PNP level for further processing.

He added that he and the Interior secretary “never even talked about Lee’s case in any of their meetings.”

‎Meanwhile, Roxas stressed that whoever ordered the removal of the Globe Asiatique president’s name from persons with standing warrants of arrest should be investigated.