Delfin Lee transferred to Pampanga Provincial Jail

Arrested businessman Delfin Lee, president of real estate firm Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp., was tranferred to the Pampanga provincial jail Monday evening.

 

A report aired on GMA News “24 Oras” said Lee was transferred to the Pampanga Provincial Jail in San Fernando City at around 6 p.m. after being detained since Friday at the National Bureau of Investigation regional office in the same city.

 

Lee's transfer to the provincial jail facility was ordered by Pampanga RTC Branch 42 judge Ma. Amifaith Fider-Reyes on Monday after deferring his arraignment on a P6.6-billion syndicated estafa case to Friday, March 14.
 

Lee's camp earlier in the day filed a motion questioning the jurisdiction of Pampanga RTC Branch 42 over his syndicated destafa case.

 

Lee's camp also filed before the Court of Appeals an "extremely urgent" petition for the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus to seek the housing mogul's immediate release.

 

Lee's camp insisted the detained businessman has already been removed from the Philippine National Police's list of people with outstanding arrest warrants, showing as proof a certification of delistment issued by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) as well as a Nov. 20, 2013 PNP memorandum issued by Senior Superintendent Eliseo Rasco, chief of the directorial staff of the CIDG, enjoining all PNP units from implementing the arrest warrant.

 

Lee was arrested by the PNP Task Force Tugis at a hotel in Malate, Manila Thursday last week.

 

Lee however said that the arrest was illegal citing a CA ruling in November of last year, dismissing the case and recalling the warrant of arrest, but Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said the arrest warrant stands as there is a pending petition before the Supreme Court to appeal the CA ruling.

 

Lee also maintained he is innocent of all the allegations against him.

 

“Ang dami ninyong sinasabi, puro kasinungalingan. Andiyan naman ang dokumento, bakit hindi ninyo tignan. Sinasabi ninyong double sale? Bakit hindi ninyo tignan ang titulo, nasa pangalan namin! Wala pa kaming binebenta,” Lee, clad in a bullet-proof vest, said before entering the provincial jail.

 

“Wala kaming niloko kahit isa!,” he shouted.

 

Lee's supporters also trooped in front of the provincial jail gate to hold a prayer vigil.

 

“Nagkaroon kami ng bahay dahil sa tulong niya (Lee), dahil sa trabaho na binigay niya sa'min,” said one of the supporters.

 

“Mali naman po kasi ang panghuhusga nila kay sir DL (Delfin Lee)! Mabait na tao po siya,” said another supporter. — Elizabeth Marcelo/JDS, GMA News