Mike Defensor

Michael Tan Defensor (, born June 30, 1969) is a Filipino politician and businessman who served as the party-list representative for Anakalusugan from 2019 to 2022. He is also the chief executive officer of Pax Libera Mining, Inc.

A member of the Defensor political family, Defensor is the nephew of former senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. He began his political career in Quezon City, where he served as a member of the city council from 1992 to 1995. He was elected to the House of Representatives representing Quezon City's 3rd congressional district in 1995, becoming the youngest member of Congress at the time. As a congressman, he was a member of the "Spice Boys", who led congressional efforts to impeach President Joseph Estrada. The impeachment trial and the widespread protests of the Second EDSA Revolution in January 2001 resulted in Estrada's resignation and Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's accession to the presidency.

Defensor later served in various positions in the Arroyo administration, including chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, and Malacañang Chief of Staff. He was also appointed to positions at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Philippine National Railways.

In 2019, he was elected again to the House of Representatives as the representative of the Anakalusugan party-list. He was among the 70 representatives who voted against the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he promoted and distributed the antiparasitic drug ivermectin as a possible prophylaxis and treatment for COVID-19, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting its efficacy. In 2026, he and 18 other individuals drew controversy over their claims that kickbacks from flood control projects were being sent to several politicians and activists. Defensor unsuccessfully ran for senator in 2007 and for Mayor of Quezon City in 2010 and 2022.

Defensor was arrested on July 6, 2026, after the Sandiganbayan charged him with plunder and issued an arrest warrant in connection with an undeclared donation that he and two others allegedly made to Senator Rodante Marcoleta during the 2025 election campaign. He is currently awaiting trial.

Early life and education Mike Defensor was born on June 30, 1969 to lawyer Matias Defensor Jr. and Florence Pamintuan Tan Defensor. Matias Jr. was a prominent lawyer during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, being friends with former cabinet member Francisco Tatad and serving as spokesman during Marcos' presidential campaign in the 1986 snap election that preceded the People Power Revolution. Mike's younger sister, Maria Theresa ("Maite"), is a businesswoman and former politician. He received the Manuel Quezon Bantayog Award for Most Outstanding QC Councilor for the year 1994.

Congressman Defensor ran for congressman of the third district of Quezon City against reelectionist Dennis Roldan in the 1995 election, which he subsequently won, becoming at age 26 the youngest member of the Philippine House of Representatives at the time. Though he ran under the party of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, he switched to the Liberal Party in June 1995, a month before the 10th Congress convened.

On October 9, 2008, Defensor was named acting chairman of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

Senate candidacy

Defensor was among the first to file for candidacy for the Senate on February 12, 2007. Prior to filing, one of his campaign proposals was to temporarily release deposed former president Joseph Estrada from his arrest while his trial at the Sandiganbayan was ongoing, prompting criticism from prosecutors at the trial who called it a "politician's gimmick". He employed popular gossip show host Boy Abunda as his campaign manager. He was named to the TEAM Unity coalition backed by the Arroyo administration. However, he lost the race, placing 15th overall out of the 12 seats.

Quezon City mayoral candidacy In 2010, Defensor ran for Mayor of Quezon City under the People's Reform Party (PRP). However, he lost to outgoing Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, who won via landslide.

In 2022, Defensor ran for Mayor of Quezon City under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). During his campaign, he wore the color red in openly expressing his support for the UniTeam candidacies of former senator Bongbong Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for the presidency and vice presidency respectively; both Marcos and Duterte ultimately won the national election. Defensor lost to incumbent Mayor Joy Belmonte, who emerged victorious in the local election.

Representative for Anakalusugan Denial of the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN

Defensor is one of the vocal opponents against the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, together with Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla. He is one of the 70 congressmen who voted "yes" to "kill" (deny) the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, in favor of the report from the Technical Working Group. After claiming continuous victory, Defensor inititiated an online forum via Zoom and streamed live on Facebook along with Marcoleta, Remulla, Yedda Romualdez, Journalie Payonan, Dan Fernandez, Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, Inno Dy and Alfred delos Santos to discuss the fate of ABS-CBN. On July 18, 2020, they discussed the potential takeover of the ill-fated network due to alleged tampered torrens title, fine for the alleged illegal sale of ABS-CBN TV Plus for almost , and the total closure of Sky Cable as suggested by Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte. Meanwhile, pro-ABS-CBN advocate Christine Bersola-Babao slammed the forum and called the congresspersons as "evil", and Senate President Tito Sotto slammed the possible takeover of ABS-CBN by calling the compound as constitutionally protected.

BTS sa Kongreso In January 2021, Defensor is announced to be part of the new bloc "BTS sa Kongreso" (named after the K-pop boy band group BTS of South Korea), a coalition group formed by Taguig–Pateros 1st district Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano of the House of Representatives of 18th Congress.

Ivermectin pantry

In April 2021, Defensor and SAGIP party-list representative Rodante Marcoleta initiated an "ivermectin pan-three" that distributes the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, despite warnings from the World Health Organization on the lack of evidence to support ivermectin's efficacy against COVID-19.

Controversies Ador Mawanay fiasco In August 2001, Defensor spearheaded the presentation of Antonio Luis Marquez (alias Ador Mawanay) to the public, positioning the whistleblower as a witness against the alleged criminal activities of newly elected Senator Panfilo Lacson. Acting as a primary defender of the Arroyo administration, Defensor championed Mawanay’s testimonies until Mawanay recanted his statements and claimed that he was coerced.

Vagrancy accusation In 2001, Defensor faced allegations of hiring women for sex following the arrest of four individuals for vagrancy in Quezon City. He denied the claims, accusing the Quezon City Police of using a fabricated witness to falsely link him to the controversy.

Criticism vs. Bongbong Marcos Since 2025, Defensor emerged as a critic to the administration of his former ally, President Bongbong Marcos, leading high-profile legal and political challenges, citing systemic corruption and governance failures. He had publicly called for Marcos's resignation and joined United People's Initiative (UPI) rallies. In January 2026, he led a group of complainants in filing impeachment case against Marcos, but withdrew the document after the office of the House Secretary General declined to accept it.

Flood control scandal and maleta allegations In February 2026, he was involved in the "Marines Controversy," providing logistics, including a vehicle registered to his wife Julie, for 18 individuals identifying as former Marines. The group alleged they had delivered over in kickbacks contained in suitcases (maleta in Filipino) to government officials. Malacañang dismissed the claims as a "destabilization plot," while the Philippine Navy reported that several witnesses were either never enlisted or had been dishonorably discharged.

On July 8, 2026, Senator Erwin Tulfo filed grave oral defamation complaints with the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor's Office against Defensor, two of Zaldy Co's former bodyguards, their lawyer Levito Baligod, Quezon City Councilor Ranulfo Ludovica, and lawyer Virgilio Garcia. The complaints stemmed from an event at the Doublegem EDSA Garden Events Place in Mandaluyong on June 16, 2026, which, after being cancelled as a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing because no senators attended, proceeded as a press conference where the two ex-bodyguards accused Tulfo of receiving cash kickbacks from an alleged flood control scam. Tulfo, who served as the committee's chairperson under a rival Senate faction, denied the accusations and alleged that Defensor and Baligod spearheaded the event, citing his lack of jurisdiction over infrastructure projects.

Human trafficking complaints In April 2026, Defensor became a central figure in a high-profile human trafficking investigation following a raid by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the Chicago Family KTV and Bleu Hotel in Pasig. On April 21, authorities rescued 54 women from an alleged "sex-for-hire" operation, leading the NBI to file complaints against Defensor, his wife Julie, and their child Miguel (who is a trans woman) as the registered owners of Cliffpoint Development Corporation, which handles the property. Defensor declined to comment on the trafficking complaints against his wife and child, stating he was following the advice of their legal counsel to remain silent since he was not personally named in that specific case. On June 26, 2026, the NBI filed qualified human trafficking cases against Defensor and his wife anew before the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office.

Rodante Marcoleta campaign donation controversy Mug shot of Defensor after his arrest by the Philippine National Police on July 6, 2026. In May 2026, the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman's field investigation bureau for Luzon filed plunder and indirect bribery complaints against Senator Rodante Marcoleta and three of his 2025 senatorial campaign donors that includes Defensor. The complaint alleged that in January 2025, Defensor contributed to Marcoleta's campaign, which combined with contributions from two other donors for a total of —above the statutory threshold for plunder and allegedly left undeclared in Marcoleta's Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

On July 6, 2026, Defensor, alongside Marcoleta and two other campaign donors, was arrested by the Philippine National Police on non-bailable charges of plunder. He is detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas. On July 8, another warrant of arrest was issued against Defensor and Marcoleta over the alleged violation of Presidential Decree No. 46 that bans the exchange of gifts between public officials and private individuals.

Laws authored RA 8313, An Act upgrading the Quirino Memorial Medical Center RA 8976, An Act Requiring the Fortification of Processed Foods with Essential Micronutrients An Act Creating the Department of Housing and Urban Development (co-author) Dangerous Drugs Act of 1998 (co-author) Act Amending tDna Carta of the Disabled Persons (co-author) Act Mandating the Nationwide Rabies Vaccination Program (co-author) Technical Working Group (TWG) report recommending the denial of ABS-CBN's franchise application (co-author)

Other positions held Former vice-chair, House of Representatives’ Committee on Legislative Franchises Chief executive officer, Pax Libera Mining Chair, NiHAO Mineral Resources Inc. (mining company) Chair, Geograce Resources Philippines (mining company)

Electoral history +Electoral history of Mike DefensorYearOfficePartyVotes receivedResultTotal %.Swing 1995 Representative (Quezon City–3rd) LDP 29,663 30.29 1st 1998 Liberal 43,970 38.90 1st 2007 Senator of the Philippines Lakas 9,938,995 33.69 15th 2019 Representative (Party-list) Anakalusugan 237,629 0.85 38th 2010 Mayor of Quezon City PRP 126,847 17.87 2nd 2022 PFP 419,064 38.22 2nd

Personal life Defensor is married to Julie Rose Tactacan, with whom he has five children. Their eldest daughter, Michaela (Mikee), is a lawyer who is a member of the Philippine Anti-Dynasty Network.