Mike Defensor arrested over Marcoleta campaign donation
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 1:11 p.m.) — Former lawmaker Mike Defensor has been arrested over plunder charges related to an alleged P75-million campaign donation to Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Monday, July 6.
Defensor's arrest followed that of Marcoleta earlier Monday, hours after the Third Division of Sandiganbayan issued a warrant against them.
Remulla said the two other co-accused in the case—businessmen Joseph Espiritu—has also been arrested, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced.
Aristotle Viray, a businessman and another respondent in the case, remains at large.
Marcoleta was similarly placed under police custody after he appeared before the Sandiganbayan.
Plunder is a non-bailable offense, so Defensor, Marcoleta and their co-accused are expected to remain detained while the case is heard in court.
Defensor's other cases
Defensor, who was an Anakalusugan representative at lower house, is also facing qualified human trafficking complaint that the National Bureau of Investigation earlier filed over the alleged operation of Chicago KTV Bar and Bleu Hotel in Pasig City.
The NBI earlier said it rescued 55 women, most of them foreigners, during an April 21 raid on the establishments.
The complaint named Defensor, his wife Julie Rose, two of their children and two directors, according to the column.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said most of the rescued women were single mothers.
In a video stream earlier Monday, Defensor denied the allegations and insisted thes case are politically motivated.
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Erratum: An earlier version of this story mistakenly reported that co-accused Viray has been arrested. This has been corrected, as the respondent is still at-large.
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