FORMER AnaKalusugan representative Mike Defensor was taken into custody by the Philippine National Police on Monday in connection with a plunder case.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed the arrest, adding that authorities also apprehended businessman Joseph Espiritu, another key figure linked to the same complaint. Both individuals were arrested in Quezon City and face serious charges alongside Senator Rodante Marcoleta over allegations involving the non‑disclosure of ₱75 million in campaign donations during the previous elections.
According to Remulla, the arrest operation took place smoothly while Defensor and Espiritu were having coffee at a Starbucks outlet in the city. There was no reported resistance during the apprehension, and the two were immediately placed under police custody. Following their arrest, they were escorted and transported directly to the Sandiganbayan, where the anti‑graft court will process the arrest warrants and formally receive them as part of the ongoing proceedings.
The case against them was filed by the Office of the Ombudsman and raffled to the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division just last Friday morning. Investigations show that the ₱75‑million amount in question was a donation arranged by Defensor, together with donors Aristotle Viray and Espiritu, and given to Marcoleta when he was still a congressman ahead of his 2025 senatorial campaign.
Plunder is classified as a non‑bailable offense under Philippine law, meaning the accused will remain in detention unless the court decides otherwise as the case progresses.
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