Jomar Canlas
THE Supreme Court has turned down with finality the plea of detained Globe Asiatique founder Delfin Lee to hear his case through debates.
In a two-page resolution dated June 3 but released just recently, the SC en banc denied with finality for lack of merit the request of Lee’s camp to set the case for oral arguments.
The high court affirmed its earlier findings last April 22 that denied for lack of merit the plea of Lee’s camp to have oral arguments in his case.
“The court resolved to deny with finality the motion for reconsideration [of the resolution dated April 22, 2014], dated May 12, 2014, filed by the counsel for respondents in all petitions,” read the full court resolution signed by clerk of court Enriqueta Vidal.
Lee, who is facing syndicated estafa charges, argued that the petitions of the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF)or Pag-IBIG and the Department of Justice (DOJ) should be dismissed for “utter lack of merit” and added that the Court of Appeals (CA) ruling dated November 7, 2013 should be ordered implemented by the high tribunal.
The cases involving Lee and his co-accused are pending before the high court and shall be resolved on their merits.
Lee has asked the SC to turn down the petitions filed by the DOJ and the HDMF seeking to junk the CA ruling that quashed the warrant of arrest against him.
Lee said that even if DOJ and Pag-Ibig should file a motion for reconsideration, the CA ruling should be implemented.
Due to the hold departure order handed down against him by the Pampanga trial court hearing the case, Lee also urged the high court to direct the Bureau of Immigration to cease and desist from implementing the same.
There is no probable cause against him for syndicated estafa, the motion said.
There is forum shopping in the action done by the DOJ and Pag-IBIG as they both questioning the assailed CA ruling before the high court, it concluded.