MABALACAT CITY, – Over 9,700 Facebook users have expressed “like” for the Facebook account of jailed Globe Asiatique President Delfin Lee who is challenging Vice President Jejomar Binay to “face me in the Senate” to let out the truth on his alleged syndicated estafa case.
Lee’s account, titled Globe Asiatique, Know the Truth, said the debate would expose who between him and Binay is lying. As of yesterday, the account reflected 9,787 likes. Only recently, Binay challenge Sen. Antonio Trillanes for a debate on the so-called Hacienda Binay and other anomalies under investigation by the Senate.
“Vice President Binay, face me in the Senate. Ilabas po natin and katotohanan at magkaalaman na tayo kung sino po ang sinungaling sa atin,” Lee said in his account. “You (Binay) have always complained of being a victim of politics. I am not a politician but isn’t it true that what you are doing to me is the same thing you complain about?” he asked.
Lee has been under detention at the Pampanga provincial jail in the capital city of San Fernando since his arrest last March. Lee and four others faced syndicated estafa charges filed by the Department of Justice over the alleged use of ghost borrowers to obtain P6.6 billion loans from Pag- IBIG Fund in 2009 for his Xevera housing projects here and in Bacolor, Pampanga.
In November last year, however, the Court of Appeals dismissed the charges against Lee and barred authorities from arresting him. In a 29-page decision, the appellate court nullified an order issued by the Pampanga Regional Trial Court (RTC) that found probable cause to order Lee’s arrest.
The CA said Lee could no longer be prosecuted for syndicated estafa, which “must be committed by five or more persons” as it also noted that one of Lee’s co-accused had been absolved by the CA. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima however insisted that the arrest warrant against Lee remained valid because the CA’s decision was not final and could still be appealed. The Supreme Court has yet to decide on the appeal.
Lee’s lawyer Willie Rivera said he suspected politics behind the case against Lee, who insisted he “never borrowed a single cent” from the Pag-IBIG Fund nor did he award any housing units to anyone who had not obtained clearance slip from Pag-IBIG Fund.
Rivera had failed to inhibit RTC Judge Amifaith Fider-Reyes from Lee’s case. He noted that the judge is also assigned in the RTC which is perceived as a turf of Binay. The judge barred Lee from attending a Senate hearing on his case last May. Lee had planned to “expose” Binay on the charges against him during the hearing.
Rivera said that Lee’s problem with Pag-IBIG started when Binay assumed post as head of the Housing and Urban Land Regulatory Board (HULRB). He also noted that Lee was reported to have supported the vice presidential bid of Interior and Local Governments Sec. Mar Roxas in the 2010 elections.
In his Facebook account, Lee asked for a face-to-face debate at the Senate. “If you are true to the people, you should attend the debate and face me at the Senate and there, prove your accusations against me.
