Supreme Court Issues TRO Vs. CA Ruling on Lee Arrest Warrant

The Supreme Court division on Wednesday issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against a Court of Appeals decision lifting the arrest warrant on detained Globe Asiatique chairman Delfin Lee.

Report said SC Public Information Office chief Theodore Te at a press briefing said the TRO is “effective immediately and continuing until further orders (from the court) and directed against the implementation of the Court of Appeals November 7, 2013 decision.”

The TRO was issued by the high court’s Third Division with Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Diosdado Peralta, Roberto Abad, Jose Mendoza and Marvic Leonen.

The High Court’s order was issued on the same day Lee was called to appear at the Court of Appeals in connection with his petition contesting his detention.

Lee’s counsel Willy Rivera refused to comment on the TRO, but said it was “erroneous” to say that the CA proceedings would become moot, report said.

Reports said Assistant Solicitor General Hermes Ocampo, who has yet to see a copy of the SC order, said it was “very good” if a TRO had indeed been issued against the CA’s November 2013 ruling.

Asked if the CA proceedings for Lee’s petition for writ of habeas corpus would be rendered “moot” due to the TRO, Ocampo was qouted saying in a report: “Parang ganoon na nga. Ganoon ang tingin ko.”

Lee, founder and chairman of Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp., is facing charges of syndicated estafa for allegedly defrauding the government of P6.6 billion in housing loan proceeds for home buyers, which investigators later found to be fictitious.

Lee, who was arrested in Hotel in Manila Thursday last week, denied any wrongdoing in the Globe Asiatique transactions.

Source: GMA News Online