No such thing as P6.6B Pag-ibig scam, says detained businessman Lee

By: Tetch Torres-Tupas - 11 years ago

Real estate developer Delfin Lee. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Detained real estate businessman Delfin Lee said there was no such thing as a P6.6 billion housing fund scam.

Lee, through his counsel Willie Rivera said had the Supreme Court allowed them to argue their case orally, they would be able to prove their point.

“Only through oral arguments before the Supreme Court can the public be truly enlightened, more so now in light of the Senate committee on housing’s recent decision to indefinitely postpone its hearings inquiring into the Pag-IBIG controversy,” Lee said.

“Had the SC allowed us to orally argue these points and gave us the chance to be publicly heard, we’ll let the public learn the truth and put an end to Pag-IBIG’s un-ending efforts to mis-inform and mislead everyone,” he added.

“There is no such thing as the fabled P 6.6-billion damage sustained by Pag-IBIG…Pag-IBIG has never claimed such amount from us. There are no ghosts or fictitious buyers, but only defaulting buyers whose borrowings were approved and processed by Pag-IBIG itself,” he said after the high court denied his request for lack of merit.

“We accept the decision of the High Court in not granting us the chance for oral argument–even as we see this as a drawback in our bid to show the magistrates and the Filipino people as well– that contrary to Pag-Ibig Funds claims, we have not defrauded the government any single centavo,” Lee said.

The embattled property developer said they would continue to seek appropriate legal recourse “as we move on and continue our pursuit for justice and fairness. ”