The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is preparing to lodge human trafficking complaints against former Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor.
The legal action follows an April 21 law enforcement raid on a KTV entertainment venue located in Pasig City.
According to NBI Director Melvin Matibag, the formal complaint is scheduled for submission to the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office this Friday.
The case originates from a targeted operation at the Chicago Family KTV, where law enforcement officers rescued approximately 54 suspected victims of human trafficking.
“After pag-aralan yung kaso, lumalabas na talagang si Mike Defensor is part of the human trafficking na nangyari sa Chicago,” Matibag said.
NBI investigators reported that the physical layout of the establishment had been deliberately modified to facilitate illegal operations.
“It was observed na yung original design ng compound na ito ay binago to suit doon sa plano nila na human trafficking,” he explained.
The former lawmaker is not the first in his family to be implicated in the investigation. The bureau previously filed identical trafficking charges against his wife, Julie Rose Defensor, and their son, Miguel Gabriel Defensor, after corporate registration records identified them as the registered owners of the KTV bar.
While Defensor’s representatives have fiercely dismissed the allegations as “malicious and baseless,” Matibag maintained that a meticulous assessment of the gathered evidence provided investigators with ample grounds to formally pull the former legislator into the criminal complaint.
Authorities have pledged to sustain their investigation to ensure full accountability for the alleged trafficking network.