Judge wants Delfin Lee transferred to another jail

Real estate developer Delfin Lee. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The judge hearing the syndicated estafa case against real estate developer Delfin Lee has petitioned another court to transfer the businessman from his cell at the Pampanga provincial jail to a detention facility operated by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Edwin Mangaliman, provincial jail warden, confirmed he has been summoned to a Nov. 9 hearing called by Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Divina Aquino-Simbulan based on the petition filed by RTC Branch 42 Judge Amifaith Fider-Reyes to transfer Lee to a BJMP facility in Barangay Telabastagan.

Special treatment

Reyes said she had asked for Lee’s transfer after receiving reports that he had been getting special treatment, court documents showed.

No details about the allegations were made available on Tuesday.

Lee has been standing trial following his arrest on March 6, 2014, in Manila after hiding from authorities for two years.

Lee has asked the Office of the Court Administrator to stop the transfer, saying the insinuation was based on hearsay circulated through anonymous letters.

“It will be truly unfair for herein accused to be transferred to the BJMP Telabastagan and be incarcerated together with 100 more or less, common and hardened criminals, especially so that herein accused is not even a convicted felon,” Lee said in a motion.

Lee, president of Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp. (GARHC), is accused of defrauding Pag-Ibig Fund (Home Development Mutual Fund) of P7 billion through ghost buyers or the double sale of units in Xevera subdivisions in Bacolor and Mabalacat City in Pampanga since 2008.

Double sale, ghost buyers

Aside from six syndicated estafa cases filed by people claiming to be victims of double sale or ghost buyers, a similar case had been filed by buyers of condominium units at GA Tower 2, a project of GARHC in Mandaluyong City.

The latest case included Lee’s daughter, Divine, whom the complainants said was serving as chief executive officer and was a member of the board of directors of GA Tower 2.

Lee’s four coaccused, including his son Dexter, vice president of GARHC, have yet to be arrested.