Delfin Lee wants SC to order his release

Real estate developer Delfin Lee. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Detained real estate developer Delfin Lee on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to immediately resolve his petitions questioning his arrest, detention and stopping the syndicated estafa trial.

Lee is facing trial for allegedly defrauding the government’s housing financier Home Mutual Development Fund (HDMF) and a number of homebuyers.

In his motion for early resolution, Lee, through his counsel, urged the high court that if quick resolution was not feasible, then, it should consider allowing his temporary liberty.

Lee is currently detained at the Pampanga Provincial Jail.

His motion insisted that his current detention lacks basis since the Court of Appeals already nullified the Information (charge sheet) against him for syndicated estafa.

“The lone Information for Syndicated Estafa in Criminal Case No. 18480 has already been quashed by the Court of Appeals in CA G.R. SP No. 121346… and that such lone Information has not yet been revived by the Honorable Supreme Court,” Lee noted in his recent motion.

Thus, he said there is no reason or legal justification for his continued detention as well as the ongoing trial before the Pampanga court.

The motion stated that the prevailing rule on quashed or nullified Information or charge sheet stays quashed unless revived, citing a Supreme Court 2009 decision in the case of Ariel M. Los Banos v. Joel R. Pedro.

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