CIDG chief files obstruction of justice rap vs Delfin Lee’s lawyers

Delfin Lee. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has filed criminal charges against the two lawyers of detained real estate magnate Delfin Lee for claiming that the arrest warrant against their client was already lifted when he was arrested last March.

Director Benjamin Magalong said on Thursday he personally brought charges for obstruction of justice against lawyers William Rivera and Gilbert Requiso at the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

“I personally filed a case against the lawyers because of deception,” Magalong told reporters at Camp Crame.

“If you will remember, they repeatedly made it appear that the arrest warrant against Lee was already lifted. They made us believe their claims,” he said.

Lee, president and owner of GlobeAsiatique Inc., was ordered arrested by a Pampanga court in connection with the alleged double sale of some P6.6 billion worth of subdivision lots in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

After managing to stay under the radar for over a year, Lee was arrested by agents of the Task Force Tugis of the Philippine National Police in a hotel in Ermita, Manila on March 6.

His lawyers claimed the warrant for his arrest was quashed by the Court of Appeals in a decision it issued on Nov. 7, 2013.

They used this as basis to ask the CIDG and PNP Director General Alan Purisima to remove Lee’s name from the PNP’s list of wanted persons.

In December 2013, Magalong granted the request of Lee’s lawyers to have his name stricken off from the list.

The controversy over Lee’s de-listing led to the eventual sacking of the Task Force Tugis head, Senior Supt. Conrado Capa, who blasted Purisima for his unceremonious relief from his post.

Capa has since been assigned as deputy director for operations of the Cebu regional police office.

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