Palace determined to have Lee prosecuted, says spokesman

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Friday vowed to prosecute the cases against property developer Delfin Lee amid insinuations that he contributed to President Benigno Aquino’s electoral campaign in 2010.

The President’s spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda, said he had no information on whether Lee was one of Aquino’s campaign contributors, and referred reporters to a list of various politicians’ campaign contributors released by the Commission on Elections.

But regardless of such claims, Lacierda said the government was degermined to pursue the cases against Lee.

“There is a pending case…. We have never shied away from prosecuting anyone that has been charged. So, the DOJ (Department of Justice), insofar as the government is concerned, will prosecute its case against Delfin Lee,’’ Lacierda said.

Lee, president of Globe Asiatique, is facing a string of syndicated estafa cases for allegedly enticing customers into buying homes registered to other owners.

Globe Asiatique has also been accused of using “ghost borrowers’’ and fake documents to obtain more than P6.5 billion in loans from Pag-IBIG Fund, for its Xevera housing project in Mabalacat and Bacolor towns in Pampanga.

Dante Jimenez, chair of the anti-crime Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption,  said he had received information that Lee was among Mr. Aquino’s “biggest campaign contributors.’’

“Is it true? Thisa is information given to me. Lee is a moneyed businessman. He is well-connected in Malacañang and to some people close to the President,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez made the statement while twitting the President for publicly censuring Senior Supt. Conrad Capa for ranting about his transfer to another police unit in the media following Lee’s arrest.

Capa headed the Task Force Tugis that collared Lee last month.

Vice President Jejomar Binay had said that an “influential individual’’ tried to convince the national police to release Lee.

Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali, a staunch ally of the President, admitted calling Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima after Lee’s arrest. But he denied lobbying for Lee’s release.

RELATED STORY

Delfin Lee gave funds to Aquino 2010 campaign-Vacc